Badal opposes deregulation of diesel prices

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Wednesday described as “shocking and scandalous” the decision of the UPA government to decontrol diesel price regime and demanded its immediate rollback.

Badal said that the decision would not only unleash uncontrollable inflationary forces, resulting in an all-round and back-breaking hike in the prices of all essential commodities, but it  also smacked of a massive scam.

Demanding withdrawal of the decision, the Chief Minister said that with one stroke, the government at the centrehad swelled the pockets of the rich oil companies by robbing the already beleaguered common man, especially the farmers. 

“The decision is a give-away on how much the UPA is hand in glove with oil companies, out to enrich them and making the common man foot the bill for this enrichment,” he said.

Badal said that the biggest hit of this  decision would be taken by the farmers all across the country,  especially in Punjab,  accustomed as the Punjab farmers are to intensive agriculture. Already, the UPA had systematically and persistently targeted the farm sector through its decisions affecting subsidies on agricultural inputs like fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides etc.

The decision is likely to have a serious impact on the general cost of living, hitting both the producer and the consumer in the country.  Diesel was a major input in farm operations. In addition to that, the fuel price hike was also certain to further impact prices of fertilizers, pesticides etc.

The Chief Minister said that he would take up the issue with the centre during his next visit to Delhi. The SAD would also enlist the support of other like-minded parties to put pressure on the government to reverse this decision, he added.