We were helpless, UP CM should slash more prices: Congress

Lucknow, June 8 (UNI) Terming reduction of just Rs 11.35 on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) ''disappointing'' and 'insufficient,'' Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee president Rita Bahuguna Joshi today said Chief Minister Mayawati should provide more relief to housewives like other governments.

''The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre have no other option than to hike the prices of petrol, diesel and LPG as prices of crude oil are shooting in the international market,'' Dr Joshi said here.

The prices of crude oil are touching the sky at Rs 139 dollar per barrel against Rs 34 dollar per barrel when UPA had came at the Centre in 2004, she added.

The UPA government is already facing huge monetary burden of Rs 22,000 crore by slashing excise and import taxes, she claimed, adding, the subsidy on petroleum products also bring burden of over Rs 2 lakh crore on the shoulders of Centre and Indian oil companies.

''Prime Minsiter Manmohan Singh had appealed to the state governments to bear the burden jointly, but it was only Uttar Pradesh government which turned a deaf ear, '' Dr Joshi alleged.

''Only after huge protests, Ms Mayawati yesterday brought a mere reduction of Rs one and Rs 1.5 per litre on petrol and diesel respectively, while cost of each cylinder was cut short by Rs 11.35,'' she charged.

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