Hike in petro prices to give benefit to Ambani: Raman Singh

     Raipur, July 23, 2010: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh today pulled up the Manmohan Singh government at the Centre accusing it had increased the prices of petrol and diesel to solely give benefit to Ambani led Reliance Company.

     In an exclusive interview to the ChhattisgarhTopNews.Com, the Chief Minister accused the central government of changing its rules to give benefit to the individual and privately owned companies.

     “The Congress government at the Centre changed the policy on deciding the prices of petro product to give benefit to the Ambani led Reliance company, without bothering about its consequences on the commonmen,” the Chief Minister said.

     The Congress led Government increased the prices of petrol and diesel so that the Reliance can open and run its 30,000 petrol pumps in the country, he claimed.

     However, the commonmen were crushed in that decision as the new policy was functioning as an indirect tax on the commonmen, he said.

     The new prices helped in increase the cost on transportation of commodities because of which there was an immediate increase in prices of about 20 per cent in almost all commodities, he said.

     The Constitution speaks about a welfare state, but the policy of the Central government was never directed towards the welfare of the people, Singh claimed.

     When asked whether inflation would be an election issue in the coming election, he said polls are fought on the issues of war or on price rise.

     “But the people, who had sought vote in the name of commonmen are silent when the prices are touching the sky,” he said criticising the Sonia Gandhi led Congress party.

     The system in the country had collapsed because of which foodgrains are being damaged in the open field and in godowns in Punjab and Haryana where as in most parts of the country the poors are not having the fortune of a square meal a day,  he said.

     “Because of this system failure the prices of essential commodities including sugar and wheat are increasing many folds,” the Chief Minister said.