Chandigarh, July 6- Senior Congress leader and former Haryana Finance Minister, Prof. Sampat Singh has taken strong exception to the manner in which the opposition has been giving a call for bandh by ignoring the fact that such political gimmicks derail the economy of the nation which is already emerging out of the world-wide recession.
In a statement issued here today, Prof. Sampat Singh said that while the bandh called by NDA and others on July 5 has already caused an estimated loss of Rs.13000 crores to the nation, other opposition parties too have also announced the dates for bandhs. For instance the Bahujan Samaj Party has given a call for bandh on July 6 followed by CPI (ML) on July 7, Maoist on July 8 and RJD-LJP have given a call for bandh on July 10. Perhaps none of these parties like to remain behind in this race for damage to the nation. He cautioned that the huge loss of Rs.13000 crores would further increase prices of essential commodities and hit those very people in whose name the shutdown was called.
Describing the ruling party and the opposition as the two sides of the same coin in a democratic set up, the former Finance Minister said that instead of motivating the people to indulge in bandhs, the opposition parties should give constructive suggestions in the larger interest of the nation. The opposition should be responsible, responsive and sensitive to the aspirations of the people and needs of the State and the country He pointed out that today, such a situation has emerged in which everybody is asking, “What after yesterday” as the people are fed up with the situation of uncertainty. The opposition’s preferred weapon of bandh did not help anyone nor it would do any benefit in future, he added.
Prof. Sampat Singh said that even the media has criticised the opposition for calling the nationwide shutdown against the UPA government raising fuel prices as their aim of the bandh was to simply get themselves counted. Such political gimmicks harm not only the economy of the nation, but also cause hardship to the common man.
He added that the opposition should consider price of crude oil in international market before resorting to protests. The UPA Government at the Centre is pro poor and conscious of the prices of essential commodities. The price of petrol in the international market was $35 per barrel during the NDA regime. Presently the OPEC price for petrol is $ 80 per barrel and it has gone up to $ 137 during the UPA rule.
He said that as compared to the hike in prices of petrol, diesel, kerosene and LPG during the NDA rule when Lok-Dal BJP were in power in Haryana the prices of these commodities did not increase so much during the tenure of the Congress led Central Government.
Prof. Sampat Singh reminded that when Congress Government assumed office at the Centre in 2004, the price of petrol was Rs.36.90 per litre as compared to Rs. 51.82 per litre at present showing an increase of 40 per cent. On the other hand, during NDA’s rule when Lok Dal-BJP was in power in Haryana, the price of petrol increased from Rs.23.94 per litre to Rs.36.81 per litre that is an increase of 53.76 per cent from 1999 to February 2005. Similarly, in Congress rule, while the price of diesel increased from Rs.24.03 to Rs.36.59 per litre during the same period, showing an increase of 52 per cent, in NDA’s rule , the prices of diesel increased from Rs.8.89 per litre to Rs.24.16 per litre that is an increase of 171.77 per cent.
Also, in Congress rule, the price of kerosene had increased from Rs.9.10 per litre to Rs.12 per litre at present reflecting an increase of 37 per cent during the same period. But when the NDA was in power, the prices of kerosene increased from Rs.2.52 per litre to Rs.9.01 per litre that is an increase of 288.44 per cent.
In Congress rule, the price of LPG was Rs. 261.60 per cylinder and now it is Rs.347.30 per cylinder reflecting an increase of 32 per cent whereas when NDA was in power and when LOK Dal-BJP was ruling in Haryana, the price of LPG increased from Rs.136 per cylinder to Rs.261.60 per cylinder showing a hike of 92.35 per cent. As against this, during the tenure of NDA,the prices of these commodities had shot up beyond expectations.
He said that therefore, the Lok Dal-BJP Government in Haryana earned Rs.1433.94 crores from VAT on petrol and Rs.3365.39 crores from VAT on diesel. Thus a total of Rs.4799.33 crores were earned. All this was taken from the pocket of the poor and gullible farmer, he added.
He said that contrary to this, the Congress Government in Haryana was perhaps the only State in the country to take lead in reducing VAT on LPG and diesel thus benefitting the consumers to the tune of Rs.357 crores per annum. He said that on June 6,2008, Haryana became the first State in the country to completely waive off VAT of four per cent on LPG thus benefitting the common man to the tune of Rs.45 crores in 2008-09. This benefit has continued since then. At the same time, VAT on diesel was also reduced from 12 per cent to 8.8 per cent thus benefitting farmers,transporters and common man by Rs.312 crores in 2008-09 and this benefit continued in subsequent years.
He urged the people not to be misled by political gimmicks of the opposition parties.