Instead of reducing the price of fuel in line with the sharp fall in the price of crude oil in the international market to U.S. $61.59 per barrel, the BJP government’s move to increase the excise duty on fuel is highly condemnable. Not just this, the increase in the price of domestic gas cylinders by Rs. 50 is an act of cruelty without conscience.
The oil companies, which are keen to increase fuel prices when the price of crude oil rises, never bother to reduce the price of fuel when the price of crude oil falls. It is unacceptable that the Indian Union Government, which is supposed to monitor and regulate this, does not increase prices only during election times, consciously, but also simply watches the oil companies loot day by day at other times.
The basic reason for the present misery of the people is the result of the Congress government handing over the right to fix petrol prices in June 2010 and the BJP government in October 2014 to the private oil companies.
The price of an LPG cylinder, which was sold for Rs. 1,200, was reduced to below Rs. 1,000 in the run-up to the last parliamentary elections. Now the BJP government is trying to increase it to Rs. 1000 again, which is an unethical act that affects every family in this country every month.
At this critical juncture, I request the DMK government to fulfill the poll promise of providing a subsidy of Rs. 100 for LPG cylinders during the 2021 assembly elections, and at least now, with only one year left in the government, it should alleviate the sufferings of women.
Therefore, I appeal to the BJP government to drop its draconian decision to increase the excise duty on fuel and reduce the burden on the people by reducing fuel prices in line with the fall in crude oil prices. I also urge the BJP government to immediately withdraw the decision to increase the price of LPG cylinders by Rs. 50 and reinstate the power of the Indian Union Government to fix the price of fuel.
– Seeman | Chief Coordinator | NTK
