Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, Mar, 21
Congress leaders as a part of month long protests against hike in petroleum products of party on Sunday continued protest at Jagti Migrant Camp. The protest was led by former Minister and senior Congress leader Raman Bhalla .The event was organized by Jagti Tenement Committee President Shadi Lal Pandita Prominent among those present on the occasion include Raj Kumar Tiku, Kamal Ji, Vinod Bhatt, Rajesh Aamdar, Ravi ji, ML Rajdhan, Kashi Nath Bhatt, Sham Lal Tiku, Ghulam Ahmed Khan, Charanjeet Singh, Gurdeerp Singh, Rattan Lal, Vijay Suri Vijay Bakshi, Lalita Pandita, Dazy Dhar, Shama Ji, Meena Ji Pandita and beside others.
Speaking on the occasion, Bhalla criticized the government over the fuel price hike. He said BJP government has embarked upon merciless destruction of people’s livelihood which have already been severely assaulted both by the pandemic and the unplanned, unilaterally announced and totally mismanaged policies and programmes in J&K.He accused the government of deliberately increasing petrol and diesel price every day. He demanded that the central government to sharply reduce its excise duties, on petroleum products, which are amongst the highest in the world today, and provide relief to the people. Former Minister said the Modi government has completely failed in keeping its promises to the people of India. The need of the hour is for different parties to set aside their differences and come together. “Time has come to change this government,” he said.He said it is necessary to make the government understand that they have completely failed to serve the nation. Congress leader said that on one hand government was increasing taxes as well as prices of petroleum products and gas that made life of the low income group miserable. He said that unemployment was increasing but government failed to devise an effective economic plan for solution of the core issues. He said ill-directed anti-people policies” of the BJP govt are responsible for the high prices of petrol and diesel.
Bhalla claimed that BJP government has only deceived KPs but did nothing for them. He urged Govt to enhance the monthly relief provided to Kashmiri migrants from Rs 13,000 to Rs 20,000.”The price index has gone high a number of times over the last five years, and consequent price rise in almost all fields of public purchases has also touched new heights. This has disturbed the domestic budget of the displaced community of Kashmir. It has become very difficult for the relief holders among them to make both ends meet, he said. There are 22,000 relief holders who are dependent on the monthly relief. Bhalla further said overaged youth who could not be accommodated under the prime minister’s employment package need monetary assistance from the government to ensure their economic subsistence.”It can be done by means of monetary compensation, interest free loans and one-time working capital for creating new working business units that can earn profits in due course of time, he said.
Former Minister Bhalla claimed that from bullock cart and rallies to Congress leaders riding bicycles and promoting social media hastags, the Congress organizing protests across India against the fuel price hikes in the last three months, saying it was hurting the poor and the middle-class adversely. The government has claimed that the fuel prices have risen because of increase in international crude prices but he said that the Centre has artificially kept the prices high by not lowering the special excise duty imposed when the international crude prices fell last year.The country’s GDP has hit the bottom. It is the lowest in 7 years and unemployment is on the rise. Still, fuel prices have been increased,” said Bhalla.The Central government must control petrol and diesel prices. On one hand people are already distressed with Covid-19 and now this further price rise is staring in peoples’ face. We condemn the petrol price hike and seek its roll back. We will not allow it to happen. He said the hike in petrol price could have been avoided by reducing the profit of the government as well as private run oil companies, reducing the tax on petrol and checking the falling rupee value.There was no doubt that the hike would dent the middle class people’s purchasing power further and plummet their economic status, he said.Former Minister said that hike would unleash fresh inflationary trends, jack up prices of all essential commodities and break the back of the common man. It is a cruel blow on people who are already suffering from severe price rise.
Former Minister Bhalla said that the frequent increase in prices of petroleum products was beyond imagination. He said government failed to fulfill its tall claims as it did not provide any relief to the poverty-stricken people. It is sheer injustice rather shameful,” said Bhalla. He added that rulers were imposing new taxes on people and increasing prices of daily use items to meet their own expenditures.He said that consumers were paying two types of taxes that included petroleum levy and general sales tax. “The government should take back the decision of increase in petrol and diesel prices. The ‘tsunami of inflation’ has made life extremely difficult for all sections of society. This time it has dropped a petrol bomb on people.
This is going to cause a new wave of inflation in the country,” he said.Bhalla also criticized government, saying it had no capacity to control price hike and joblessness.” The government should withdraw increase in fuel prices and announce relief package for the jobless youth,” he said. Bhalla said when the Congress-led UPA was in power, relief was given to people even though international crude oil prices were soaring while the Modi government has been raising petrol and diesel prices, burdening the common people and the farmers already facing hardships due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Bhalla hit out at the Centre over a massive hike in the prices of LPG gas cylinder, calling it “uncalled for” and demanded its immediate rollback.He said, Modi government has today electrocuted the budget of a common man. It has attacked the budget of India’s women. He said that increase in fuel prices would affect the traders as they had already suffered due to lockdown after outbreak of coronavirus. He said that the frequent increase in prices of petroleum products would completely halt industrial development process that could trigger unemployment. He said that continuous surge in prices of petrol products was reflecting anti-business and anti-industry policies of the government. He said that the decision should be withdrawn immediately.He charged the government with profiteering at the expense of the people, saying its duty was to help them in times of crisis and not make profits out of their hard-earned money.He said, “Due to the coronavirus crisis, demand for fuel has fallen all over the world.
Bhalla further said that despite having full stock of fuel, the government has burdened the common people by increasing fuel prices continuously. Such a steep hike has not been affected in 70 years, he said, adding that it is unprecedented. He said, “The poor and the middle class have been severely hit by the recent hikes. Such a situation has not been seen in any other country. All the countries are helping its people during the coronavirus crisis. The Centre has hammered the people when the country is facing economic slowdown. No government has hit its people so hard before. He said petrol and diesel prices directly affect the common people but the Centre has not formulated any policy to deal with the economic slowdown and they passed on the burden to the masses.
