SHILLONG: The president of Meghalaya Pradesh Youth Congress (MPYC), Richard Marak has blamed the policy of the BJP government at the Centre for rising prices of essentials triggered mainly by steeping prices of petroleum fuels.
In a press statement, he said that essential commodities like vegetable, dal, onion, milk, groceries were going beyond the purchasing capacity of the common people due to the hike in petroleum products.
Referring to the increase in the prices of petrol, diesel and LPG, he said, “The sky rocketing fuel prices are affecting and going to affect each one of us. In the past three years, fuel prices have been increased several times. Not because of increasing crude prices, which have been falling, but due to the increase in taxes by the BJP led NDA government.”
Marak hit out at the Central government that has been consistently hiking excise and other levies to increase its tax kitty.
Demanding the roll-back of Central Excise duties on petrol and diesel, he said, “India is under dictatorship. The BJP-led NDA government is exploiting the people of India through taxes. Meghalaya Youth Congress demands immediate roll back of central Excise duties on petrol and diesel.”
He said, “We are not convinced by the BJP government’s rhetoric that high tax on petroleum products is important for government funds for poor and infrastructure.”
Lambasting at the NDA government for daylight robbery, he said that the common people are being looted through demonetization disaster, failed GST implementation and looting the people through huge tax components on petroleum products.
Marak also questioned the attitude of Tura MP, Conrad Sangma from Nationalist People’s Party (NPP), an ally of NDA government, in connection with the rise in prices.
