Shiromani Akali Dal Patron and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today slammed the Congress led UPA government at Center for the proposed major hike in the prices of Petrol, Diesel and LPG and said that the hike would be ‘totally unjustified and anti-people’. He said that it was strange and cruel that the government was contemplating the proposed hike at a time when the prices of essential commodities were already sky high adding that this hike would further enhance the inflationary trends much to the dismay of common man. In a statement here, Badal cautioned the Center against such anti-people decisions when the common man (Aam Aadmi) was already reeling under the unbearable burden of inflation. He said that the proposed hike of Rs.4-5 in petrol price, Rs.3-4 in diesel and Rs.50 per cylinder of LPG would further add to the woes of the people. This he said would especially hurt the farmers and making housewives unhappy by disturbing their kitchen budget. The Chief Minister said that this proposed decision to hike the prices of diesel would be a fatal blow to the agriculture sector as the farming was no longer a profitable venture due to the massive hike in agricultural inputs. He said the hike in the prices of diesel would further enhance the cost of agriculture inputs making the life of beleaguered farmers miserable. He said that the un-remunerative MSP coupled with high cost of agriculture inputs could further jeopardize the country’s food security. The Chief Minister termed the proposed hike as “a typical gift” of this anti-people UPA government to the countrymen in the coming festive season. He said that this hike in the prices of petrol and diesel would also adversely hit the transport sector in the country thereby resulting in the
corresponding price rise of essential commodities and other materials thereby indicting the common man.