Indiase Communisten tegen hoge olieprijs
30 juni 2005. Bijdrage geleverd door peter.
De indiase regering heeft de benzine,- en dieselprijs moeten verhogen na de laatste prijsschok op de mondiale oliemarkt.
Kleine linkse partijen hebben een protestdag georganiseerd waarin zij
onder andere roepen om aanpassing van belastingen op diesel en benzine
zodat de verkoopprijs er van niet omhoog gaat.
Left to protest fuel price hike:-
New Delhi, June 20 : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led
Left Front, which props the United Progressive Alliance (UPA)
government, Monday announced nationwide protests against the petrol and
diesel price hike.
In a joint statement, the Left parties said there would be
demonstrations across the country June 28, demanding that the centre
reverse its decision to raise the petrol price by Rs.2.50 a litre and
diesel by Rs.2 a litre.
“We call upon people all over the country to join together to register
their strong protest by coming out into the streets and demonstrate
their opposition June 28,” said the statement, issued jointly by CPI-M,
the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Revolutionary Socialist Party
(RSP) and the All India Forward Bloc.
“The Left parties call upon the government to reverse the decision and
take measures which can absorb the burden of the increased
international oil prices,” it said.
The central cabinet Monday agreed to a proposal of increasing the fuel
prices, which comes into effect by midnight. The kerosene and cooking
gas prices remain unchanged.
The Communists regretted that the UPA government had not considered its
alternative suggestions to prevent the price hike and said the
justifications given were “misplaced”.
Their suggestions were cancellation of the additional cess of 50 paise
per litre of petrol for highways, making changes in the excise duty
pattern so that it did not lead to a retail price hike and doing away
with import parity in product price.
The Left had also proposed creation of a price stabilisation fund to
meet global fluctuation in crude prices with the cess collected on
indigenous crude amounting to Rs.54 billion per annum.
They had sought a review of the duty drawback payment to petroleum product exporters by private refineries.
“While it is true that international oil prices have been rising, the
government in the budget itself changed the excise duties which led to
an added burden of Rs.1.70 per litre of petrol and Rs.1.15 per litre of
diesel,” they pointed out in the statement.
“The road cess of Rs.1.50 has been increased by 50 paise to Rs.2,” it said.
Left Front leaders also said the fuel price would have a cascading effect on the prices of essential commodities.
