Srinagar, Jan 10: Slamming the central government for the hike in passenger rail fares, State Secretary, CPI (M), Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami today said this “anti-people” decision is bound to “further hit the common man who is already reeling under price rise and inflation.”
 In a statement issued here today, Tarigami expressed concern over the hike saying the Railway Ministry has shown “utter disregard to the sanctity of the Parliament by announcing the fare hike just a month before the Railway Budget is to be placed before the august House.”
 “Instead of this anti-people decision, the Railways should have explored other avenues to generate more revenue,” the CPI (M) leader said.
 He said: “One fails to understand that when will the present dispensation in Delhi say no to its anti-people policies?”
 “Under the UPA dispensation, the essential commodities have gone out of reach for the people. By raising price of diesel, cooking gas and now rail fare, the government has crossed all limits,” the CPI (M) state secretary remarked.
 Demanding immediate rollback of the fare increase, the CPI (M) leader in a statement said the hike would have a cascading effect on people already burdened by the price rise.
 On decisions presently under consideration of the central government regarding hike in LPG, diesel prices, the CPI (M) leader said the “diesel is the main fuel for transportation and farming sectors and any increase in the fuel price would have a cascading effect on the cost of daily living.”
 He said the proposal of the oil ministry to hike rate of diesel per litre by Rs 3-4.50, “is highly condemnable.”
 “Similarly, the proposal to hike the price of domestic LPG cylinder by Rs 100 is unwarranted. The government might be citing fiscal deficit as an excuse for its anti-people decisions, the fact remains that its explanations are not convincing enough for the people who are fighting the pangs of inflation,” Tarigami said.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 9 Jan 2013 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 9 Jan 2013 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 10 Jan 2013 00:00:00 IST