ROLL BACK GAS PRICE HIKE, SAYS PINARAYI

Wants rollback of gas price hike and increase in subsidised cylinders

The State and Central governments were researching ways to burden common man, said CPI (M) State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan after inaugurating the hunger strike organised by his party here on Wednesday against LPG cylinder price hike.

Mr. Vijayan warned that the governments would soon feel the heat of public ire. They should take note of the public sentiments against its recent decisions, he said

Mr. Vijayan accused the government of harbouring a secret agenda in hiking the gas price. He said the price of LPG cylinders was hiked to help groups like Reliance reap profits. The decision had burdened the domestic consumers as well as commercial users like hoteliers who were forced to increase the price of foodstuff. The government should roll back the price hike and increase the number of cylinders given out at subsidised rates. At least 12 cylinders should be made available at subsidised rate to households.

Mr. Vijayan said linking subsidies to Adhar card was unacceptable. The much-hyped Food Security Act had denied food grains to people at affordable rates besides sabotaging the food grain supply. He said the LDF government had provided subsidies in a hassle-free manner.

The State government had disrupted the Public Distribution System. The Maveli stores and the outlets of the Consumerfed had failed to intervene in the market to arrest the price rise of essential commodities, he said.

Former Deputy Mayor C.K. Manisanskar began fast at Vyttila junction as part of the agitation being organised in around 2,000 centres across the State.