'Centre should take initiave to lower fuel prices'

Lucknow, Jun 17 : Admitting his party's differences with UPA government at the Centre on various issues, the CPM leader Prakash Karat today said he was not convinced that the state governments should sacrifice revenue to lower the prices of petroleum products in their respective states.

''The initiative should come from the Centre first then the state governments come into picture,''the CPM leader told reporters after his about 90-minute meeting with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav at latters's official residence this morning.

Some of the states like Delhi and Maharashtra have already lowered the prices in their states by waiving off state tax on it.

Extending full support to the Samajwadi Party-led government in Uttar Pradesh on the issue of petrol and diesel prices, Mr Karat said his party was ,in fact, the part of June 13 general strike by SP on this issue. '' CPM is committed to support SP on this issue and its secular credentials,'' the senior communist leader said.

''My party would continue to oppose the hike till it was taken back,''he said. It may be recalled that the CPM had made a strong issue of hike in petrol and diesel prices and gone public to criticise the Centre's move.

Reiterating CPM's support to United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre was basically on the secular grounds in order to keep BJP and other communal forces away from the power, Mr Karat said ''Yes, we have several points of disgreement with the UPA.'' He said a note on some of the issues on which his party differed with the UPA had already been given to the latter. ''We would sit together next month to thrash out points of differences,'' he said.

Besides Petroeum prices, the issue related to farmers was another important matter which would be addressed during the meeting. ''The import of wheat at the cost of local farmers is vehemently opposed to by my party,''he said.

UNI