Opposition parties including Congress, CPI and MPP reacted sharply criticising the statement and demanded rollback.
By Naorem Tanoranjan
While some political parties have been voicing and protesting against the gradual and consistent hike in prices of petroleum products in the country for quite some time, the recent remark by Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh justifying the price hike has kicked off a political storm in the state.
On June 12, the CM had justified the increase in price of petroleum products, reportedly stating that rice, medicines and vaccines being distributed free of cost during the COVID-19 pandemic has to come from somewhere. It doesn’t fall from the sky, he added.
Reacting to CM Biren’s remark, Manipur People’s Party (MPP), a regional political party of the state, questioned whether the BJP government does not have an alternative to collect extra taxes from the people, other than levy hefty taxes on petrol and diesel. Speaking to TFM, MPP general secretary (administration) H Gitajen contended that the government could look towards other sectors or means if it was absolutely necessary.
Gitajen also wondered if there was any hidden agenda for increasing the price of petrol and diesel, which are essential commodities, during the pandemic that has devastated the lives of common men. If the government is short of income, then they should consult economists and experts in the field, he suggested, and added that it was unfortunate that the government that is building structures worth crores of rupees like Ram Mandir is falling short of income.
The government should understand that when petrol and diesel are costing around Rs 100 and Rs 91 respectively, it is the common people who are going to suffer, not the “high profile” people, he asserted.
The MPP leader further said that the people have taken strong exception to the statement by the chief minister, who has spoken as if he can say anything. It was as if he was asking for returns for all the works taken up by the government, he added.
Urging CM Biren to speak understanding the sentiments of the people, Gitajen suggested that the government’s work is not enough and more should be done. He also contended that people will be more content if the funds from different departments are diverted towards fighting the pandemic.
The MPP general secretary demanded a White Paper on the central government’s assistance to the state government during the first and second waves of the pandemic. Acknowledging that the state government is putting up its best fight against the dreaded virus, Gitajen maintained that no one should try to take political mileage out of it.
Meanwhile, Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) spokesperson Hareshwar Goshwami maintained that the chief minister’s remark mentioning the food people eat was very regretful and the people are upset with it. The chief minister’s remark insinuating that the free distribution of medicines, vaccines, rice etc is related to the price hike has raised questions whether the BJP government has failed economically, he added.
Hareshwar also mentioned that the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance & Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES Fund) was set up in March 27, 2020 with the aim: “Combating and containment and relief efforts against the coronavirus outbreak and similar pandemic like situation in the future”. But the fund lacks transparency as it does not make public the donated amount or the spendings, he said and added that it does not come under the purview of RTI Act.
He further said that according to the information Congress obtained, the PM CARES Fund amassed around Rs 12,000 crore within 52 days. This included donations from — Rs 4308.3 Crore by government agencies and staff, Rs 438.8 crore from one day salary by government employees, Rs 7800 crore from MPs Local Area Development Fund for two years, Rs 55 crore which is 30 per cent deducted from MPs allowance or salary, Rs 151 crore by Railway employees, Rs 1,500 crore by Tata Trust. Apart from this, many from abroad also donated large sums, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), sanitizers, etc.
People are confused whether CM Biren is collecting extra taxes from petrol and diesel since he is unaware of the PM CARES Fund or is he doing so as the fund is running low, Hareshwar asked.
Maintaining that the rise in petrol and diesel prices will have a cascading effect as goods are transported through trucks in Manipur, the Congress spokesperson said that the situation amidst the pandemic is akin to “hitting with hailstorm on shaved heads”.
Stating that prices of petrol and diesel are lower in neighbouring countries like Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Bhutan, Hareshwar said that Bangladesh does not collect extra tax for providing free vaccination. He also urged the central government to declare if the PM CARES Fund was running low. If so, people can help, he said and added that it would be wrong to collect extra tax by claiming that some services have been provided for free.
Condemning the price hike, Communist Party of India (CPI), Manipur State Council secretary L Sotinkumar contended that by hiking the price of petrol and diesel when the price of crude oil has decreased globally, the BJP government is adding woes to the people during the ravaging pandemic.
Sotinkumar said that people are worried that the price rise in commodities as an effect of the price hike in petroleum products might be more deadly than COVID-19.
The communist leader also alleged sinister design stating that the BJP regime is levying hefty taxes in the garb of providing free vaccines, rice, medicine, etc.
Stating that the Modi government is rampantly privatising people’s assets, Sotinkumar alleged that during elections they in turn support the regime. So the corporates are charging as they wish unabated, he added.
Sotinkumar also mentioned that left parties are protesting nationally against the price hike from June 16 to 30. As part of it, the left parties of Manipur will also protest, he said and demanded rollback of the price of petrol and diesel in the state.