Expressing concern over the rising fuel prices, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to lower the taxes charged by the Centre on petrol and diesel “to check the overall inflation” in the country.
Noting that petrol and diesel prices were hiked eight times since May, of which six times were in June alone, she said the fuel price hike have adversely affected common people and directly impacted the inflation in the country.
“I would like to draw your attention to the government of India policy which has brought great distress among the common people of the country. Shockingly, the retail price of petrol in many states across the county has crossed an unprecedented Rs 100 per litre,” she wrote.
“It is my earnest request that the taxes charged by the Central government on petrol and diesel be substantially reduced to give much-needed relief to the common people and also to check the overall inflationary trend in the country today,” the chief minister wrote.
In a letter to Modi, Banerjee wrote that since he became the prime minister in 2014, the tax and surcharge levied by the Central government on oil and petroleum products have been increased by a whopping 370 per cent “at the cost of the common people”.
“Shockingly, the retail price of petrol in many states across the country has crossed to an unprecedented Rs 100 per litre… I have come to learn that petrol and diesel prices were hiked by your government eight times since May 4, 2021, and out of these, prices were hiked six times in the month of June only and shockingly, four times in a week. These rather cruel hikes in petrol and diesel prices have affected the common people most adversely, and have directly impacted the dangerously rising inflation in the country.”
The TMC has also asked all its MLAs to stage protests on July 10-11 against fuel price hike, said minister Partha Chatterjee.
Sources in the Trinamool Congress (TMC) told News18 that All India General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee might lead the protest against fuel price hike.
Earlier on Monday, Abhishek tweeted and questioned the Centre over the issue.
“While people are facing severe economic distress during #COVID19, @narendramodi Ji decided to snatch the benefit of low crude oil prices by imposing record duty hikes. However, when it’s rising again, he passes on the hardship to common man. Disgraceful!” he wrote.
“As fuel prices hit a HISTORIC HIGH, @BJP4India govt. seems to be working very hard towards adding to the woes of the public. Not much has changed from 2020. The same old blame game continues while the demands of the people of India are conveniently ignored!” he added in another tweet.