CPM on fast against LPG price hike at 1,400 centres

Thiruvananthapuram: After the failure of a series of agitations last year, the CPM on Wednesday launched a protest against the hike in the prices of LPG cylinders, an issue which directly affects  the common man.

An indefinite fast was launched simultaneously in 1,400 centres in the state. Activists, including state committee members and branch committee party workers, took part in the fast at ten centres in each Assembly segment.

The family members of the party workers observing the fast will also hold similar protests in the coming days.

Inaugurating the protest in Ernakulam, CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan alleged that the centre was not keen to initiate steps to reduce the prices as it would affect a handful of monopoly companies.

He said the prices of LPG had been hiked to help big companies like Reliance and SR. With the union government stating that it would be difficult to roll back the prices, there seems to be no relief for the common man who is already suffering under the rising prices of essential commodities, he said.

CPM politburo member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, who inaugurated the fast here, said the anger of people against LPG price rise will lead to an inferno engulfing the governments in the state and at the centre. 

FACT?panel to hold hunger strike against LNG price rise

Kochi: Save FACT Action Committee, an apex body comprising various trade unions and others, will hold a 24-hour hunger strike at the Premier Junction at Kalamasserry from January 21 to January 22 morning demanding the reduction in the price of LNG supplied by the Petronet LNG to the Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore Ltd.

An emergency meeting held by the committee on Wednesday also decided to have a meeting on Friday to chalk out further protest actions, K Muraleedharan, chairman and K Chandran Pillai, convener, said in a release.

They said that the ammonia plant of FACT has been stopped functioning with the price of LNG going up to $ 24.35 per unit. Due to the high price of LNG, the modern caprolactam unit of FACT has not been functioning for the past 15 months.

They said that if this state of affairs continues, the phosphate and ammonium sulphate plants too will be forced to shut down. The hope that FACT will return back to its glorious dates with the conversion to LNG has been dashed.

They asked the Centre to give an LNG compensation to FACT and give up 5.15 per cent customs duty on LNG. The Kerala Government should also give 14.5 VAT per cent on LNG.