Express front page, June 8, 1980. (Express archive)

The price of petrol has been raised by 65 paise per litre starting from June 8. The government also announced similar increases in the prices of high-speed diesel oil and light diesel oil. Kerosene and cooking gas have been spared from the price hikes. An official press release said that the retail price of petrol in Delhi now fixed at Rs 4.41 per litre will go up to Rs 5.10 per litre. The price of diesel now fixed at Rs 1.58 per litre will be Rs 2.28 per litre. The prices of petroleum products were raised last in August 1979.

Presidential Govt

The Andhra chief minister, Chenna Reddy, pleaded for a presidential form of government in the country. Reddy also suggested that a new Constitution should be written to replace the present one “which does not truly reflect the changed situation in the country”. This is the second time in a week Reddy, the senior-most Congress (I) chief minister in the country, has called for a new Constitution. Reddy was talking informally in Delhi to journalists and explained that the President had more freedom to act.

AAGSP Infighting

The nine-month-old agitation in Assam on the issue of foreign nationals has suffered a crippling blow as a result of serious rifts developing within the ranks of the All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (AAGSP), the apex party of half-a-dozen organisations jointly spearheading the movement for the detection and deportation of aliens. The rift, which could well result in the abrupt calling off of the current agitation came to the surface late at night on June 7 when the All Assam Students Union (AASU) — the major constituent of the AAGSP — directed its units in the state to oversee the formation of new units of the AAGSP as some people claiming to be members of the Parishad are setting their sights on personal gains through the organisation.