New Delhi, Sep 30 (IANS) From auto drivers, taxi unions, housewives to the office-goer, the common man Friday expressed anger over the Rs.2 per kg CNG price hike in the capital.
Life has turned from difficult to worst, said Rupam Tuli, general secretary for the All Delhi Auto Taxi Federation.
‘It looks like the government is indifferent to the problems of common man. With the increasing inflation, the rise in CNG prices appear as if the government has made all the arrangements to make our life difficult to worst.’
He said though the increase will not affect the auto-drivers much, it will surely make a major difference to the pockets of bus and truck drivers.
‘The auto drivers hardly use five kg of CNG a day, so for them this would make a small difference. But for truck and bus drivers, who use around 100 kg, the hike is painful,’ he added.
The price hike was Rs.2 in Delhi and Rs.2.30 in the NCR (National Capital Region).
Ashok Kumar Tiwari, vice president of the Bhartiya Tipahiya Chalak Sangh, said: ‘The only difference it will make to the common man will be that from four chapatis, we will come down to three.’
S.K. Bhatia, president of the All Delhi Auto Taxi Federation, said the government should also hike taxi fares while increasing fuel prices. ‘This is a fair way which was followed during the governance of (former prime minister) Indira Gandhi,’ he added.
Car owners too were a disappointed lot.
‘Congress has become famous with its price hiking policies now. We have no hope from it,’ said Ajay Arora, 43, who bought his car on loan a month ago.
‘Congress, which talks about the aam admi (common man), has failed. Somebody should tell them that they were elected by us and this is not what they promised,’ said Ankit Sagar, 29, a software engineer.
Besides, housewives too were upset, fearing a vegetable price hike.
‘Every time there is a fuel or CNG price hike, the prices of vegetables also rise,’ said Ritu Thakur, 32.
Meanwhile, people with CNG-run cars and auto-drivers queued up at CNG stations as the hike comes into effect from midnight. After the hike, CNG will cost Rs.32 per kg.
