Chennai: The fuel price hike was like “poisoning the poor in installments”, chief minister J. Jayalalithaa said on Friday, lambasting the Union government for its wrong pricing policy. She charged that the hike would lead to rise in prices of essential commodities.
She urged the Centre to rescind the decision of allowing oil marketing companies to deregulate fuel prices as well as to roll back the Friday’s price increase. With the hike taking effect from midnight, a litre of petrol will cost Rs 72.17 (70.26) and diesel Rs 51.13 a litre in Chennai.
In a strongly worded statement, she faulted the Centre for adopting a flawed policy on fixing fuel prices. “The present pricing model based on “trade parity” is erroneous. Presently the diesel and petrol prices are being fixed based on international market. Of the total requirement, 25 per cent comes from our country (import constitutes 75 per cent) that is refined and sold as diesel and petrol. But the rates are not being fixed based on this, which is wrong,” she said.
Comments
Pages