Odisha Congress launches stir over fuel price hike

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) on Tuesday demanded that the Centre and State should bring down VAT and other taxes to normalise the fuel prices which has affected people of all sections during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Left parties have also called for a six-hour Odisha bandh on the issue on July 15.

Launching a 10-day agitation over the issue, Congress leaders demonstrated in front of block offices and warned that people will not take this lying down. The agitation includes a cycle rally and signature campaign at the filling stations to seek the cooperation of common people to make it a success.

OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik said that party workers in all the block headquarters demonstrated against the fuel price rise. Besides, they demanded that the price of an LPG gas cylinder which has almost touched Rs 900 should be brought down.

The Bhubaneswar District Congress Committee along with the Mahila Congress and Seva Dal workers organised a protest meeting in front of the sub-collector office at Bhubaneswar.  Meanwhile, the Left parties called a six-hour Odisha bandh on July 15 holding the Centre responsible for the hike in prices of fuel and other essential commodities. The bandh will start at 6 am and continue till 12 pm. The CPM, Forward Block and CPM-Liberation will support the bandh.