'Left doesn't know compulsions for fuel price hike'

Surat, June 10 : Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers and Steel Ramvilas Paswan has said that Left parties, who are planning a strike against the petroleum price hike, do not understand the compulsions before the government's decision.

''We are not able to control the petroleum prices which are decided by international market situations. But Left parties are not understanding this reality. They are supporting the government only from outside. That is why they voice against the hike,'' Mr Paswan told mediapersons here, while inaugurating the construction of an argon recovery plant.

Meanwhile, the Minister said Krishak Bharati Co-operative Limited (KRIBHCO) had disapproved that the public sector units could not show efficiency and has proved that PSUs like it could beat the private sector in many respects. He said KRIBHCO has achieved first position in ammonia capacity utilisation in megasize gas-based plants in the country for the last three years.

Commenting on the recent anti-reservation agitations, Mr Pawan said that the protestors should have opposed the ''capitation mafia,'' who were blocking the chances of meritorious students.

''Reservation is a government policy and we are only implementing that,'' he added.

UNI