Price Hike Pricks: People are Smart Enough to Kick BJP

Bhubaneswar: With the prices of petroleum products and other essential commodities including vegetables and fruits skyrocketing to record levels as a trickledown effect in Odisha, one thing that is clearly visible is the state Bharatiya Janata Party is playing a diversionary politics to distract the attention of the people from real issues. The orchestrated protests by the Bharatiya Janata Party in different districts of Odisha in the name of justice to Mamita is nothing but an eye wash and is intended to sideline the much important price hike issues that are hurting the common man.

In the last few days petrol and diesel prices have increased dramatically by around 20 percent. In Odisha petrol is selling between Rs 109 to Rs 115 with Malkangiri and Kalimela being the worst hit due to logistics costs. The increase in the fuel prices has already started showing the trickledown effect on other commodities especially vegetables and fruits. In Odisha capital Bhubaneswar prices of vegetables have already increased by more than double in the last one month only. Wholesale prices of vegetables in the state have increased more than 4 percent in the last one month. The main and only reason for the price rise is increase in fuel prices.

Transport costs have gone up by more than 40 percent adding to the woos of small traders and farmers. There are instances in few places where the price of the product is much less when compared to the transport costs.

Instead of fighting for the common man by joining hands against price rise, the Bharatiya Janata Party state leadership is indulging in Rasta Roka and strikes further hurting the common man. The road blocks and strikes are adding to the costs of essential commodities and vegetables. It is left with no other issue to target the Naveen Patnaik government and chosen to hurt the people of the state.

On the other hand, the Biju Janata Dal has taken the right decision to make aware the people about the reasons for price hike. Petrol, diesel, Gas, vegetables, fruits and other essential items have seen a sharp rise due to the wrong policies of the center.

The center has increased the taxes on petrol and diesel many times during these difficult period of pandemic. While the international crude oil prices were down the taxes were increased many times in 2020. Today when the international prices are up there s no hurry for the center to lessen the taxes thereby hurting all. It is not that the small vegetable vendors and common man is impacted by the price rise. All commodities and small, medium and large industries today are looking at a bleak future due to the increased fuel prices.

According to economists who are tracking issues related to Odisha, the state Bharatiya Janata Party is fooling the people of Odisha by diverting the real issues. The center is making the petroleum companies richer by billions of dollars. The profits of big companies such as Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum, Hindustan Petroleum and Reliance industries is increasing manifolds. They are today sitting on huge profits. The non inclusion of petroleum products under the GST purview is also a matter of concern as the state could have got a better share of the taxes is fuel were included. The public money is being systematically swindled and being handed over to a bunch of companies that are handled by the government for its own resources.

It is high time for the Bharatiya Janata Party Odisha leadership to stop making wild allegations and help the common man by fighting against fuel price hike. The leadership needs to understand that the people of Odisha are not that fools to believe in all the false claims of the BJP.