Petrol price hike: Perplexed Karunanidhi says stop it

New Delhi, July 15: DMK chief M Karunandhi, who feels that petrol price hike affects common people, today demanded that government "put a full stop" to it by taking constructive steps immediately.

He criticised the Centre for "turning a deaf ear" to repeated suggestions on controlling petrol prices.
"I insist that the Centre take constructive steps immediately over the rising petrol and diesel prices and put a full stop to this," Karunanidhi said in a statement.

Surprised by weekly hikes

Karunanidhi is perplexed by the frequency of petrol price increase.

"From rise in petrol prices once in few years to once in few months, now it has come to an uncontrollable level of once a week," the 90-year old patriarch said.

In the last six weeks alone, prices were hiked four times, he said. Petrol prices were hiked by Rs 1.55 per litre yesterday and came into effect from midnight.

Social problem

Karunanidhi had said earlier that every time petrol prices are revised, the rates of essential commodities automatically go up which affect the poorer sections of society whom, he said, had little purchasing power.

"Oil companies don't seem to consider this social problem. The regular hikes in petrol and diesel are being announced after Government ceded the pricing control to them.Considering the chain reaction in society, the Government should take back to itself determination of petroleum prices," he had said.

OneIndia News