Rosaiah pleas Centre to withdraw hike in petroleum products

Pointing out that the Centre’s decision to hike the prices of diesel, kerosene and Liquefied Petroleum Gas, former chief minister K Rosaiah on Saturday appealed to Centre to reconsider the move and withdraw the hike.

Talking to media persons at Congress Legislature Party office, Mr Rosaiah said the Centre’s decision would “break the back of the poor and downtrodden.”

“The condition of poor and middle class sections will become miserable and due to increase in prices of each gas cylinder by Rs 50 at one go,” he said and appealed to Centre to reconsider its decision.

He said the increase in diesel prices would led to increase in transportation cost, which will have a further negative impact on prices of all essential commodities.

Responding on the YSR Congress Party president YS Jaganmohan Reddy’s demand that the state government bear the burden of the Petroleum Products hike imposed by the Centre, the former chief minister said that, “I am not in a position to advise the state government.”

He however opined that the state government has to share or bear the additional taxes imposed on the Petroleum Products.

The Centre was forced increase the prices of Petroleum Products as per the increase in crude prices in the international market, Mr Rosaiah said.