Rising fuel price: Cong hits roads as commuters, transporters feel heat

Srinagar, May 25: The protests against rising prices of diesel and petrol in different states reached the summer capital of Srinagar with senior Congress leaders and workers staging demonstration here to seek roll back of the hike.

Led by senior party leader Taj Mohi-ud-Din the party members and workers first held an emergency meeting at party headquarters here to condemn the price hike. The meeting was followed a protest demonstration.

Raising slogans against union and state governments for continuing with anti-people policies and unjustified price hike the protests demanded its immediate rollback.

Not only political parties, common people too have expressed anger over the move saying it will hit their economy badly.

While the petrol which was sold at Rs 75 last month has witnessed a hike of Rs 6, the diesel has witnessed spike of Rs 5 and is now sold at Rs 72.

Feeling the heat on her pocket, Aaliya Nazir of Hyderpora is now relying on car-pooling with her office colleagues. Nazir who everyday drives down to Sonwar for her workplace says she had to take this step as daily expenses going out of the budget.

Irshad Ahmad, who also used to drive down to his workplace, had similar complaints.

Haji Muhammad Yusuf, general secretary, Kashmir Transport Welfare Association says increase in petrol and diesel prices would hit the transporters.

“This is for the first time in last several years that such a sharp increase in fuel prices has come into effect,” Yusuf said.

Last time when passenger fares were increased in 2016 per liter cost of diesel was Rs 56.62, said Yusuf. “Today the prices have almost doubled and the passenger fares are almost same,” Yousuf said.

A representative of petrol dealers association said daily pricing of fuel has made the prices volatile. “Any changes in international market hits local prices,” he said, adding central and state taxes on both petrol and diesel were quite high.

The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry has also expressed concern at the sharp rise in the prices. Its president Javed Ahmad Tenga said the prices of petrol and diesel in India were the highest among all the south Asian countries and this was only due to taxes and levies accounting for half of the rate, he added.

“We appeal to the state government to revisit the state levies on petrol and diesel and also urgently take up the reduction in excise duty on the fuel with government of India,” Tenga said.