Jammu, July 22: The recent passenger fare hike has evoked strong public reaction here with people accusing the government of succumbing to the pressure from private transporters. 
 Large sections of the society including students, housewives, and private and government employees have demanded immediate rollback of the hike.
 The students of city colleges castigated the transport authorities for “buckling down under the pressure of private transporters.”
 The students said the government should rollback the hike or in the alternative issue strict directions to bus and mini-bus operators to charges confessional fare from the students.
 “Whenever the government hikes the prices of petroleum products the private transporters start making hue and cry. But last year when the rates of petrol and diesel were brought down, the transporters continued to charge the same fare,” said Ambika Sharma, a Post Graduate student in Jammu University.
 She said the move by the government would further break the back of middle and poor class who are already feeling pushed to the wall due to souring prices of essential commodities.
 Pratap Singh Jamwal, Jammu Joint Students Federation (JJSF) vice president, said government had been increasing the price of everything at its will “without caring for the general masses.”
 Savita Dubey, a housewife said, “The recent decision of fare increase was a sheer blackmail on the part of transporters to which the government has succumbed. The government should have considered the plight of middle and poor class before taking such a harsh step.”
 She blamed that the government was harassing the common man.  “Already we are bearing the brunt of the increase in the prices of pulses, grains, fruits, vegetables etc. and now increase in fare,” she lamented.
 A government employee said: “Already it is very difficult for me to manage my household budget. Now this hike, it is going to further put some more pressure?”

Lastupdate on : Thu, 22 Jul 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
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