Badal criticises petrol, diesel, cooking gas hike
Chandigarh, June 4 (UNI) Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today criticised the hike in prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas and said this would further push up the inflation graph in the country.
Demanding a rollback of the prices, Mr Badal said the hike would have an adverse effect on the economy of the nation. Instead of concentrating on checking inflation, the government has chosen to increase the prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas, he added.
''The hike would effect all sections of society and trigger rise in prices of all other commodities,'' he said, while addressing a media conference here.
Inflation had already affected the poor sections of society but now even the common would feel the pinch, he added.
Asked whether an increase in the MSP of foodgrains would help compensate the farmers for the hike in the diesel price, the Chief Minister said that both these prices cannot be clubbed with each other. The hike would further increase the overall input cost of the farmers, he added.
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