VISAKHAPATNAM: CPI MP and its National Council member Syed Azeez Pasha has asked the Government to take alternative measures rather than increasing petrol and diesel prices.

Criticising the hike effected by the Central Government, he said his party suggested alternative measures. Among them were levying a tax on trading in shares and collecting non-performing assets of banks lent to corporate bodies. Besides, duties and taxes were the highest at 55 per cent and they should be brought down, he demanded.

`Wrong figure'

Mr. Pasha also found fault with the Rs. 73,000 crores burden being cited by oil companies to increase the prices and described the figure as wrong. To press for a rollback, he said the Left parties would organise dharnas and rasta rokos all over the country on June 13. If necessary, another all-India protest would be launched in consultation with the other parties.

Tie-up for polls

The Rajya Sabha member said his party would tie up with the CPI (M) and Congress in the upcoming local body elections. The tie-up would be at district-level and any differences would be later sorted out at the State-level. And in case of stalemate, it would contest independently. The party would have nothing to do with the TRS and TDP. He reiterated that his party was in favour of an integrated State. It wanted a Second States Reorganisation Committee, reviving regional development boards, announcing a Rs. 10,000-crore package for backward areas and implementation of GO 610.

Talking about the achievements of the UPA Government in office for two years, Mr. Pasha said the National Rural Employement Guarantee Act, passing the Right to Information Act, trying to undo the saffronisation of school syllabi and Sarva Siksha Abhiyan and mid-day meals were the plus points. He, however, found fault with increasing FDI in telecom and banking sectors and diluting equity in public sector banks, and privatisation of airports' development.

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