Roll back LPG, fuel price hike

BHUBANESWAR: The BJD and other parties, including the Left, on Saturday staged a dharna here criticising the Centre for the hike in fuel and LPG prices and demanding its immediate rollback. The Biju Yuva Janata Dal (BYJD) organised a protest rally here in which several MLAs and senior BJD leaders attended. Workers and supporters of BJD burnt effigies of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi for the price hike. Shouting slogans against Manmohan and Sonia, they sought immediate steps to roll back the increased prices. BYJD State convenor  Sanjay Dasburma said the fuel price hike would make essential commodities beyond the reach of the poor. Besides, developmental projects started by the Naveen Patnaik Government would also be affected, he said. The rally was attended by former minister Pramila Mallik, party MLAs Bijoy Mohanty, Prabhat Biswal, Samir Das, Bhubaneswar Mayor Anant Narayan Jena, State convenor of Biju Chhatra Janata Dal Ranjit Mohapatra, Bhubaneswar BJD and BYJD presidents Prakash Bastia and Babu Singh and other party leaders. They warned that the party would launch a Statewide agitation against the price hike unless it is withdrawn immediately. Describing the hike in the prices of diesel, LPG and kerosene as a severe blow to the common people, the Left parties including CPI and CPM held separate demonstrations and road blockades.‘Last Straw on the Camel’s Back’:  BJP State president Jual Oram on Saturday pilloried the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre for the frequent price rise of petroleum products. ‘’This is a betrayal by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi,’’ Oram remarked adding, the latest price hike will be the last straw on the camel’s back. While the Centre is taking the plea that the price hike of diesel, kerosene and cooking gas was unavoidable in view of the increase in the price of international crude oil, Oram said the prices of petroleum products were hiked at a time when there was a fall in the price of crude oil at the international market. If neighbouring countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar could control the price rise, why not India, he wondered. Prices of essential commodities were stable during the NDA regime. This was despite fluctuation of prices of crude oil in the international market, he said and added the UPA Government has lost the moral right to stay in power as it has miserably failed on all fronts.