Odisha Congress’s chaka jam against fuel price hike today

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) has given a call for a six-hour ‘Chaka Jam’ agitation in the twin city of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack on Monday to protest against the unprecedented hike in the price of petrol and diesel.

Sources said party leaders and activists will gather at various places between 6 am and 12 noon and request people not to use their vehicles and support the strike. Protesting against the price rise, the party has demanded the prices of petrol, diesel and LPG to be rolled back. The party has also targeted the State Government for not reducing VAT on petrol and diesel to give relief to the people.

“We have requested the residents of the two cities to protest against the rise in fuel prices. All should stop using their vehicles and any machinery that runs with diesel and petrol,” said OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik said.

Describing the Chaka Jam call given by Congress as a welcome step, BJD spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Pratap Deb said BJD has already launched an agitation in protest against fuel price hike. “The Central Government’s failure to control the soaring petrol prices has affected the common citizen. We have already met the Governor in this regard and staged agitation in all district headquarters,” he said.

The BJP, however, alleged that such an agitation by Congress proves that the BJD is using the former as its crutches. “Had the Congress pressurised the State Government to slash tax on fuel prices, it would have benefited the consumers. But by calling for the strike, Congress is behaving like a crutch of BJD,” said BJP spokesperson Golak Mohapatra.

Following the country-wide resentment over the rising fuel prices, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan had requested all state governments to reduce VAT.