Jaya demands immediate rollback of hike in fuel prices

Chennai: Chief minister J Jayala­lithaa on Friday slammed the latest hike in prices of petrol and diesel, fifth rise in fuel prices in just one month, and demanded that they be rolled back.

She warned that people, already overburdened by the spiraling prices and inflation, would demonstrate their anger against the Congress-led UPA in the coming Lok Sabha polls if the Centre continued functioning “like a deaf man responding to the sound of the conch”.

The chief minister said UPA regime could take the credit for the most frequent fuel price hikes in independent India. The alarming frequency of the hikes in fuel prices would destroy the economic growth of the country, she said in a statement. Pointing out that diesel was a life line of the nation’s economy, she said its unreasonable price increase would badly hurt the common man.

Even though such diesel price hikes caused huge dent in the finances of the state transport corporations, her government had remained determined not to increase passenger fares, she pointed out.

“The Central government has been increasing the fuel prices frequently pointing at the fluctuating oil prices in the International market.  The price of crude oil that is obtained within the country is also increased citing the International market which is unfair.

I strongly urge the Centre to explore the possibility of extracting more crude oil from within the country and protect people from the fluctuating international oil market,” CM said, reiterating her dem­and for revision of fuel pricing policy.