Singh Deo targets centre over fuel price rise
Fuel prices hit common people
Korba | Correspondent: Chhattisgarh's former Deputy Chief Minister, T.S. Singh Deo, has raised sharp questions regarding the Central Government's economic and foreign policies in light of skyrocketing fuel prices. While interacting with journalists during his visit to Korba, the senior Congress leader alleged that an additional burden of inflation has been imposed on the common people immediately after the completion of the electoral process.
He stated that the government lacks any long-term plan to control the market or curb price hikes.
Citing recent developments, Singh Deo remarked that the sudden increase in fuel prices immediately following the elections signals that the government is not serious about providing relief to common consumers.
Criticizing the Centre's international policies, he asserted that the decision to halt crude oil imports from two major oil-producing nations made under American influence was misguided. This decision not only adversely affected our diplomatic relations on the global stage but also deepened the domestic fuel crisis, the cost of which is now being borne by the public.
The former Deputy Chief Minister also dismissed the Central Government's argument attributing the situation to global market volatility. He argued that farmers, laborers, and the middle class are today paying the price for the administrative failure to make timely arrangements for alternative energy sources or secure contingency measures.
The rising cost of diesel and petrol has led to higher freight charges, thereby driving up the prices of all essential commodities required for daily living.
He demanded that petroleum products be immediately brought under the ambit of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to ensure price uniformity and transparency across the country. Present on the occasion were several senior office-bearers and workers of the District Congress, including former Revenue Minister Jai Singh Agrawal, who registered their protest against the Centre's policies.
