The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Monday held protests against the steep rise in fuel prices in front of petrol pumps in Kurnool on Monday.
“The prices of petrol and diesel in our country are among the highest in the world, and one main reason for this is the exorbitant taxes levied by Central and State governments,” the party’s district leader G. Ramakrishna said.
At the Bharat Petroleum pump near Sukhibhava Hospital in the city, party leaders held placards and banners demanding that petrol and diesel be brought under the purview of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and removing the control of the Central government in levying taxes or the petroleum refining companies increasing basic prices.
“What is the Centre doing when the oil marketing companies are increasing prices every other day even as crude oil prices are declining?” Mr. Ramakrishna said.
Protesters raised slogans against the Centre and said the prices of essential goods were rising unabated due to the rise in fuel costs.
With the Kharif season beginning, the demand for diesel from the farmers will go up in the coming months and if the fuel prices keep increasing like this, the input cost would go beyond the estimate of the farmers, he observed.