Press Statement
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) strongly protests the hike in the prices of petrol, diesel and LPG, following an increase in the dealers commission. This is the third revision of the commission during the course of the last twelve months. It is both unfair and unwarranted to pass the burden on to the consumer. This should have been met from the oil pool account, particularly at a time when the international prices of oil have not shot up as anticipated after September 11.
The hike in these prices will have a cascading effect on the overall price levels. These hikes have come when the living conditions of the people are sharply deteriorating due to the overall impact of the economic policies of liberalisation.
Further, such administrative hikes are unwarranted when the parliament is slated to meet in less than two weeks.