JK Congress protests 'anti-poor' LPG price hike

Jammu, Mar 8 (PTI) The Jammu and Kashmir Congress protested against the LPG price hike here on Sunday, saying this "anti-poor" decision by the government will add to the financial burden on the common man.

Led by PCC president Tariq Hamid Karra and working president Raman Bhalla, the protesters also criticised the Indo-US trade deal, alleging that it will adversely impact the country's economy, according to a party spokesperson.

The protesters gathered in Model Town, Digiana, near here, raised slogans against the ruling BJP and criticised what they described as the government's "surrender" in the Indo-US trade negotiations.

The price of domestic cooking gas LPG was hiked on Saturday by a steep Rs 60 per cylinder, the second increase in less than a year, as the spike in global energy rates following the West Asia crisis weighed on the world's third largest energy consumer.

Non-subsidised LPG -- the one that common households use in kitchens -- will now cost Rs 913 per 14.2 kg cylinder in Delhi as against Rs 853 previously, according to the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) website.

The protesters said the continued rise in the prices of essential commodities, particularly cooking gas, has added to the financial burden on ordinary households.

Addressing the protesters, Karra termed the LPG price hike "cruel".

Many rural households still do not have access to piped gas supply and rely entirely on LPG cylinders. This will force them to plan their monthly budgets more carefully, he said.

He demanded an immediate rollback of the price hike.

The Congress leader described the Indo-US trade deal as a "major blow" to the country's economic interests.

Instead of safeguarding the nation's economic and strategic priorities, the Centre "bowed to pressure" from the United States, he charged.

He also expressed concern over the possible implications of the trade deal on India's agriculture and dairy sectors, and claimed that orchardists and dairy farmers in Jammu and Kashmir will be severely affected if safeguards are not put in place.

"Our apple growers, walnut producers and small dairy farmers could face serious challenges if cheap imports enter the market without minimum support guarantees," Karra said.

He demanded that the government present a white paper on the trade deal in Parliament.

PCC working president Bhalla also strongly condemned the "unprecedented" hike in LPG prices and said poor and middle-class families will be badly affected by this decision of the Union government.

He called for an LPG relief package for families belonging to the BPL (below poverty line) category, along with a special subsidy buffer for Jammu and Kashmir, citing the higher transportation and logistics costs in hilly regions. PTI TAS DIV