Govt to ignore alternative plan at its own peril: Left

New Delhi, June 1 (UNI) The Left parties today resolved to hold a countrywide protest against the imminent oil hike saying that the UPA government was ignoring their" effective and strong case" for reducing customs and excise duties on imports.

At the first meeting after their good showing in the Assembly polls in four states and a Union territory(UT), the leaders of the CPI(M), CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc also decided to prepare a ''comprehensive'' note on the government's two years performance and certain areas of ''differences'' in economic and foreign policy spheres.

''We have decided to hold an All India Action against the government's decision to impose the avoidable hike in fuel prices on the man in the street, who is already reeling under the impact of the hike in prices of essential commodities. We will contact all the non-Congress, non-BJP parties to join the agitation which might include even a day-long general strike,'' CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat told newspersons.

The protest action would be disclosed immediately after the government announced its decision to hike the prices of petroleum products, the CPI(M) leader said adding that ''we will sit together, decide on the date and make it public.'' At the end of the two-hour deliberations, attended by CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan and others, held at CPI(M) headquarters- A K Gopalan Bhawan-, Mr Karat said ''this will be the fifth hike in the prices of petroleum products of the Manmohan Singh government during its two-year regime. It is coming at a time when the people, particularly in the Northern states, are already bearing the burden of increase in prices of Atta, pulses and other essential commodities.'' CPI leaders A B Bardhan and D Raja told UNI, ''We have been asking the government not to raise the prices as it will have a cascading effect on the overall price situation. The Left parties in their earlier note to the government, have outlined that the tax and excise components of the retail prices of petrol and petroleum products is already the double the actual price.'' They said the meeting noted that the excise in cess of the state and the Union governments constituted 55 per cent of the retail price." The Left is demanding that the Government should review taxation and bring down the excise to zero level.'' The Left leaders said the hike was expected next week as the Petroleum Minister Murli Deora said after meeting the Prime Minister here yesterday that a price hike of Rs 2-3 per litre of petrol was imminent.

On the note on the government's performance, Mr Karat said ''Earlier we prepared as many as 19 individual notes such as on foreign policy matters, civil aviation, disinvestment, BALCO among others. This time we will go in for a comprehensive one which will contain all our areas of concerns and the key areas of our differences with the Manmohan Singh government.'' Forward Bloc General Secretary Debvrat Biswas and RSP leader and MP Abani Roy said the government would have face serious consequences if it chose to ignore their ''comprehensive note this time.'' CPI leaders A B Bardhan and D Raja told UNI that they would have to meet again to discuss the contents of the note as this would be a serious exercise. ''The government can no longer ignore the Left viewpoints.'' Mr Karat denied that the Government was putting pressure to hold the UPA- Left Coordination Committee meeting at an earlier date.

In response to a query on how far its ''note'' would be considered, he quipped, ''the Government will have to take decisions.'' UNI KSA RP DS1601