The Hindu : New Delhi News : “Roll back oil price hike”

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Friday, Feb 15, 2008
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New Delhi

“Roll back oil price hike”

Staff Reporter

Would only add to the price spiral, says BJP

Photo: S. Subramanium

Queuing up: This here is the scene at one of the filling stations in New Delhi on Thursday before the petrol and diesel price hike got into affect.

NEW DELHI: Noting that the latest increase in the prices of petrol and diesel would escalate transportation costs and make all essential commodities across the board more expensive, severely impacting the budget of the poor families, Delhi BJP leaders on Thursday demanded that the hike be rolled back

Delhi BJP president Harsh Vardhan said the increase in the prices of petrol and diesel would only add to the price spiral.

Reduce sales tax

He urged the Centre to withdraw the hike and called upon Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to reduce the sales tax for neutralising the increase in the price in Delhi.

With inflation at nearly 5 per cent, he said, the increase in the prices of petrol and diesel would make transport more costly and result in escalation of prices of all essential commodities.

The Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Jagdish Mukhi, said though oil prices had increased to some extent in the international market, a major part of the retail prices of petrol and diesel in India consists of excise duty being charged by the Centre and VAT being charged at heavy rates by the Delhi Government. Since the latest increase in prices would adversely impact the economy and lead to higher inflation, he said the Centre should bring down the rate of excise and VAT on these two commodities, so that the prices of essential commodities are contained.

‘Fourth time’

Former Union Minister and BJP secretary Vijay Goel said during the rule of the United Progressive Alliance Government the prices of petrol and diesel had been increased four times. As the increase would lead to an all-round rise in prices, he demanded that the hike be rolled back in the larger interest and cautioned that the party would agitate against the move if corrective action was not taken.

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