Left parties, VCK protest LPG price hike in Trichy

Trichy: CPI, CPM, CPI(ML) and VCK staged a protest demonstration in Woraiyur on Thursday condemning the BJP-led Union govt over the steep hike in the price of commercial LPG cylinders.The protesters said the increase of nearly Rs1,000 per refill for 18kg commercial cylinders had severely affected small eateries, tea stalls and roadside food vendors across the state. They alleged that the price of a commercial LPG cylinder rose from around Rs2,200 to Rs3,200 last week, placing a heavy burden on restaurants and small businesses. Demanding an immediate rollback, the parties accused the Union govt of failing to control the rise in LPG prices. "Many eateries have suspended operations due to the increase in commercial cylinder prices. Small-scale eateries may resort to job cuts to reduce expenses, while food prices have already gone up citing the LPG price hike," said CPI councillor K Suresh. The protesters also criticised Southern Railway over an alleged reduction of more than 29,000 jobs based on a recent railway circular. Left parties urged the Union govt not to cut railway jobs or fill vacancies through internal transfers alone. MSID:: 130907667 413 |