Kerala not to waive ST on petroleum products: Achuthanandan

Kozhikode, June 12 (UNI) Reiterating his government's decision not to waive Sales Tax on petroleum products, Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan today said the move would weaken the people's movement against the Centre on the issue.

The UPA government at the Centre, which had slapped a huge burden on the people by imposing a steep hike in the prices of petroleum products, had a responsibility to slash its quantum of Sales Tax before directing the State government to do so, he said at a Meet- the- Press programme here.

Describing the hike as ''unprecedented'' he said the UPA government had stacked away billions of rupees where as the state government's revenue on this account was marginal, he said.

Asked about Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu governments' decision to forgo the ST, he said they were in fact supporting the Centre, which was implementing ''anti-people policies''.

''Those who are advocating to waive the state's share of ST are in fact attempting to sabotage the people's movement against the Centre,'' Mr Achuthanandan said.

On the Central team's recent visit to Kerala to study the farmers' problems, he said it had a clear picture of their genuine problems and would submit its report to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on its return from the tour.

He said the government had decided to write off farmers loans up to Rs 1 lakh. Farmers had committed suicides following crop-failure in various parts of the state.

People's representatives had been asked to study the problems faced by the peasants and their loan liabilities in their respective jurisdiction enabling the government to initiate steps to prevent suicides.

On AIIMS status to Kozhikode Medical College, he said there were five such institutions in the state. Only one could be upgraded to that level now. However, he said efforts would be made to provide equivalent facilities to rest of the premier institutions.

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