Slash petrol diesel prices

Jaipur, Nov 4 (UNI) The BJP today urged the UPA Government at the Centre to slash prices of petrol and diesel by Rs 5 per litre and bring the rate of interest on home loans, down to 6 per cent.

Addressing a press conference here, party Spokesman Prakash Javadekar said crude oil prices in the international market had come down and Petroleum Minister Murli Deora had assured that the government would roll back the hike in prices as and when the international market touched the mark of US Dollar 70 per barrel.

Mr Javadekar said this stage had reached but the Minister did not keep his words.

''Now the government should immediately do so by slashing down prices by Rs 5 per litre,'' he said.

He also demanded that the government provide home loans to loanees at lower 6 per cent rate of interest. This would not only fulfill people's needs but would also provide a boost to over 120 types of trades and industrial units engaged in construction sector.

The party also stressed the need for a real push to infrastructure development.

Mr Javadekar criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia for "delayed and ineffective response'' to the global economic slowdown and delayed damage control measure to neutralise the impact of its fall out on the Indian economy.

He said the ''high profile economic trio'' of these three economists had failed to manage ''our economy''.

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