New Delhi, June 25 (IANS) Citizens of capital, like elsewhere in the country, Friday expressed concern over increase in prices of petrol, diesel, kerosene and cooking gas, saying the fuel price hike will upset their budget.
Following the hike, petrol will now be costlier by Rs 3.50 per litre, diesel by Rs.2 a litre, kerosene by Rs.3 a litre and cooking gas by Rs.35 per cylinder.
‘I am fed up of this nonsense. They are increasing the prices of everything. These steps will break the back of the middle-class. Petrol will affect me, LPG will affect my kitchen and diesel will affect my business as the transporters will also hike their fares. We are doomed,’ Pulkit Sharma, a businessman, told IANS.
The hike of fuel prices has come as a further setback for residents of the capital as the Delhi government on Tuesday increased the auto and taxi fare.
‘I am speechless. What is wrong with the government? They increase the price of everything whenever they feel like. I have a limited pocket money and its becoming harder for me to sustain my motorbike. I think its time for me to sell it now,’ said Kareem Ashraf, a college student.
Many people attributed the fuel price hike to the huge amount of money spent by the government on building infrastructure for the Commonwealth games.
‘This is sheer blackmail by the government. They know that LPG is an essential commodity, we can’t sustain without it. Moreover, it’s a reality that they spent more than the alloted budget on the Commonwealth Games, this is just another way to compensate that expenditure,’ said Veena Bajaj, a businesswoman.
‘The government is just harassing us. Already we are bearing the brunt of the increase in the prices of pulses, grains, fruits, vegetables etc. and now LPG. If the government has the guts then why don’t they increase the prices of luxury items like liquor and cigarettes?’ asked Neha Chawla, a houswife.
Many fear that the decision is likely to stoke inflation, which is already high, and lead to further rise in prices of essential commodities like vegetables and foodgrains.
‘This is disastrous. Already my household budget is in a mess and now I’ll have to cut down on my transportation. Will the government come and drop my kids to school, my wife to her office now? Thanks to the government the simple things in life are slowly becoming luxuries,’ fumed Rohit Suri, an IT professional, who owns a diesel car.
