CUDDAPAH: The former Rajya Sabha member, N. Thulasi Reddy, on Wednesday claimed that the periodical hike in petrol and diesel prices was a fall-out of the United Front Government's oil policy to hike prices of petroleum products in tune with that of international crude oil market.

Addressing a press conference at Yerraguntla, the Congress leader alleged that the UF Government's irrational decision made petrol and diesel price hike inevitable in any Government.

Self-sufficiency lacking

The country lacked self-sufficiency in crude oil production and imported nearly 70 per cent of the country's requirement, which had led to the present situation, he said. He flayed the previous Chief Ministers, N.T. Rama Rao and N. Chandrababu Naidu, for backing the UF as its allies.

The UF decision was implemented during the NDA rule and inevitably continued by the UPA Government, Dr. Thulasi Reddy maintained. Achieving self-sufficiency in crude oil production, switching over to alternative energy sources for vehicles and regulating petrol consumption were alternatives that should be explored, he said.

Charge refuted

Refuting the TDP and BJP's charge that the State Government hiked sales tax exorbitantly, he said the diesel price was Rs. 31.84 per litre in the State as against Rs. 33.03 in Karnataka, Rs. 35.22 Maharashtra and Rs. 31.52 in Tamil Nadu. It depicted the heavy dose of taxation in other States, he said. He wanted a constructive solution explored to avert the periodical price rise.

Meanwhile, the CPI district secretary, G. Obulesu, strongly rebutted the TDP Rajya Sabha member, C. Ramachandraiah's tirade against the Communist parties. The Communists were agitating against petrol and diesel price in the public interest, despite being allies in the UPA Government, he told newsmen at Yerraguntla.

Communists' resolve

Communists had decided to boycott the UPA coordination committee meeting in protest, but the TDP and BJP leaders were needlessly finding fault with the Leftists, he asserted.

Terming the demand to withdraw support to UPA as ridiculous, he said communists allied with the UPA to keep the BJP at bay and urged the Telugu Desam Par to break its alliance with the BJP.

Mr. Obulesu flayed Mr. Ramachandraiah's remarks that communists always benefited by allying with other parties and adopting different stand in Andhra Pradesh and Bihar. The TDP and BJP were not sincerely agitating against the price hike, but flaying other parties, he alleged.

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