Skyrocketing of prices of petrol and diesel has hit the common consumers hard and affected all aspects of the economy. The “inefficient” BJP Government at the Centre has betrayed people by increasing fuel prices continuously during the last four years of its rule.
With this allegation, members of the Biju Yuva Janata Das (BYJD) and the Biju Chhatra Janata Das (BCJD) staged demonstrations and distributed leaflets at all petrol pumps across the State, including in the capital city, for three hours from 9 am to 12 noon on Saturday.
BYJD president Amaresh Patri and BCJD president Ranapratap Patra alleged that the prices of fuels have increased to the highest during the last four years as the Union Government continuously imposed production tax on them while taking them as main source of funds.
“The Union Government is playing with the interest of the people. This can’t be tolerated. We will continue taking to the streets till fuels have not been available at appropriate prices,” said Patri and Patra.
Among others, Bhubaneswar MlAs Bijay Mohanty and Priyadarshi Mishra, BJD State secretary Bijay Nayak, Bhubaneswar BJD working president Babu Singh, BYJD advisor Amarwsh Jena and BCJD advisor Chinmay Sahoo led dharnas at various petrol pumps in the city.
On the other hand, the BJP refuted the BJD’s allegation and said the State Government is taking tax of `29.28 on a litre of petrol and 25.64 on a litre of diesel whereas the Centre gets only `4.52 and Rs 3.56 towards tax on the two fuels, respectively. If the State Government has any concern for people, it should slash the tax and the Chief Minister should demand for inclusion of petrol and diesel in the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
“The BJD has no interest to protect interest of people but is only playing political drama against Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan,” alleged BJP State secretary Bhrugu Baxipatra.