The opposition BJP, in the meanwhile, has vowed to stage demonstrations across the state on Monday in protest of the regime’s latest move. State party president BY Vijayendra called chief minister Siddaramaiah “desperate,” saying he was not able to give any new programs in Karnataka simply because of their guarantees. “This [fuel price hike] will cost dearly for all sections in the state… Tomorrow, we have organised protests against this in the entire state and we are not going to sit quietly till the rates are revised,” he said.
Petrol prices have been increased by Rs 3 per litre, reaching Rs 102.84 in Bengaluru, up from the previous rate of Rs 99.84. Similarly, diesel prices have increased by Rs 3.02 per litre, now costing Rs 88.95, up from Rs 85.93.
Industries in the state are worried the hike in fuel rates will inevitably lead to a price rise in transport and goods cost. Srinadh Bhandari, Chairman of the Energy Panel under Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association (KASSIA) said the timing was especially unfortunate with several industries facing a cash flow crisis at present. “We will be appealing to the government to reconsider its decision,” he told ET.
Transport aggregator platform workers are likely to be severely impacted by the price hike, said Shaik Salauddin, general secretary of the Indian Federation of App Based Transport Workers. “The Congress – which calls itself a people-centric party – should understand that these decisions impact people’s livelihoods. Cab and auto drivers are the ones who travel the most and use the most fuel,” he told ET.
Delivery partners working for food and grocery delivery apps will be impacted too, he added. “Apps don’t have a separate ‘fuel allowance’ component that can absorb the impact of fuel price fluctuations…it all comes out of pocket,” he said. The Congress, which won the assembly polls by a huge margin last year on the back of its pre-poll guarantee pattern, faced a decided backslide in the Lok Sabha results earlier this month, winning just nine seats out of 28 in the state. The government, which has pledged Rs 52,000 crore annually on the guarantees is now reassessing their impact. The latest outrage against the fuel price hike might give the regime yet another reason to reconsider its priorities.
