The CPI-M on Tuesday accused the government of "fleecing the people" by deciding to raise the price of cooking gas cylinders by Rs 4 per month till a time when the entire subsidy on gas cylinders is wiped out.
"This decision runs totally against the high profile 'Give it Up' campaign conducted by the Prime Minister to persuade families that can afford gas cylinders without subsidy to give up their subsidy so that these can be given to the poor," the CPI-M said in a statement.
"Further, this is happening when the international prices of oil are sharply declining," said the Communist Party of India-Marxist.
"Clearly, this government is fleecing the people in order to augment its revenue collections, when the prices of petroleum products should actually decline in line with the international trend."
The CPI-M called for an immediate withdrawal of "this harsh burden being imposed on the vast majority of the people of our country".
--IANS
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