The prices of petrol and diesel will come down only if both the Central and State governments reduce excise duties, DMK president M.K. Stalin said on Monday.
He was addressing people from Bhavani, Anthiyur, Gobichettipalayam and Bhavani Sagar at Bungalow Pudur in the Thookanaickenpalayam panchayat union as part of ‘Ungal Thogudhiyil Stalin’, the DMK’s outreach programme.
He said the steep increase in the prices of fuel and LPG cylinders would result in an increase in the prices of essential commodities. “They keep saying that only if the crude oil price drops, the fuel prices can be reduced. But now they say that even if the crude oil price comes down, the fuel prices cannot be reduced,” he said, adding that the hike was due to the duties levied by the governments.
Mr. Stalin said the Union government’s duty on petrol in 2014 was ₹10.39 a litre and it had gone up to ₹32.98 now, while the State’s duty was ₹11.9 in 2014 and it had gone up to ₹19.9 now.
Likewise, the Centre’s duty on diesel in 2014 was ₹4.5 a litre, which was now ₹31.83, while the State’s duty was ₹6.61 in 2014 and it was ₹11.22 now.
“This shows the increase in the fuel prices is not the result of the crude oil price, but the taxes levied,” he said.
He said Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami was enacting a drama by saying his government was not responsible for the hike in fuel prices and pointed out that the duties on the fuel had been reduced twice in the past by the DMK government. “Let the AIADMK promise in its election manifesto that it will reduce the fuel prices,” he said.
State’s rights
Mr. Stalin received petitions from the people of Mettur, Edappadi and Sankagiri constituencies in Mecheri, Salem, as part of his outreach programme.
During the event, he said the Chief Minister had given away the rights of the State to the Centre. The AIADMK government had forfeited the State’s rights in various departments, he added.
Accusing the government of being negligent in the maintenance and development of public infrastructure, he said a new check dam at Ponnai river in Villupuram had collapsed. This was an example of the “corrupt Palaniswami” government, Mr. Stalin said. “The ₹25 crore check dam collapsed in a month and no one knows how much was taken away by the [government],” he added.
Mr. Stalin asked what action was taken by the State government against the contractors and called the suspension of the concerned officials an “eyewash”.
In contrast, the erstwhile DMK governments had strengthened infrastructure, he said. “Mettur dam is an example of how a dam can benefit the public,” he said, while calling former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi a new age “Karikalan (a Chola dynasty king)”, who constructed several dams and waterbodies during his tenure
Mr. Stalin said the present government had announced that it would construct eight dams in 2019, but no action had been taken till date. He said Mr Palaniswami was responsible for Tamil Nadu losing its rights to the Cauvery river.
The DMK leader said the state of Edappadi, the Chief Minister’s own constituency, was poorer than that of an Opposition legislator. Mr. Stalin asked whether the Mr. Edappadi could boldly say that he had fulfilled all the needs of his constituency.
He said the Edappadi Government Hospital lacked basic toilet facilities and the public were forced to depend on the Salem Government Hospital.
The DMK leader alleged that Mr. Palaniswami was controlling the procurement of tapioca through his benamis, and that farmers were paid low prices. He said he was hopeful that the DMK-led alliance would receive a historic victory in upcoming Assembly election.