By Our Special Correspondent
CPI on Monday organized protests across the State demanding rollback of hike in domestic gas cylinder prices. Several leaders and activists were detained in Vijayawada when they tried to take out the ‘Chalo Amaravati’ protest rally.
Addressing the media at Dasari Bhavan, Ramakrishna said that every citizen has a right to protest in a democratic country. He recalled that it was the right of people to stage protest at the time of Parliament or Assembly session. "The police arrested the employees when they demanded removal of CPS which is also against the democratic principles," he said.
The YSRCP, which was supposed to oppose the Central government’s policies, was suppressing the protests organized against the ‘anti-people’ policies. Increase in property tax and user charges on garbage collection and power tariff hike were the result of the Central government’s conditionalities. The State government, instead of opposing these policies, was sailing with it, he alleged.
Referring to the hike in the power tariff, the CPI leader said that the government was purchasing the power at higher price in collusion with Adani. When the power is available for Rs 1.99 per unit in the market, the government is buying at the rate of Rs 2.49 from Adani Company. This resulted in the burden of Rs 22,500 crore on people. The BJP, which came to power with a promise that it would control the prices in 100 days of coming to power, did nothing in that direction. The LPG cylinder price was increased to ₹1,050 from ₹400. The government had done away with the subsidy and was kowtowing before corporate. The LPG, diesel and petrol prices had skyrocketed. The Modi government’s policies were responsible for it, the CPI (M) leaders said.
The CPI leader said that the government is stating that if meters are installed to the agricultural pumps, the power consumption will decrease but in reality, government is hoodwinking the public to increase the tariff. Leaders of all the Left parties would meet on May 15 to decide the future course of action against the high prices. CPI state assistant secretary JV Satyanarayana Murthy and state executive member Akkineni Vanaja were also present.
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