[Marxistindia] Petroleum Prices: Reduce Duties; Give Relief to People

[news from the cpi(m)]

June 22, 2020

Press Statement

The Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India,  
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), Revolutionary Socialist  
Party and All India Forward Bloc have issued the following statement:

Petroleum Prices: Reduce Duties; Give Relief to People

The Modi government has embarked upon a merciless destruction of  
people’s livelihood which have already been severely assaulted both by  
the pandemic and the unplanned, unilaterally announced and totally  
mismanaged nationwide lockdown.

The prices of petrol and diesel have been hiked everyday for the last  
fifteen days. Cumulatively, petrol prices have been hiked by Rs. 7.97  
and diesel by Rs. 8.88. This is further crippling the lives of crores  
of our people.

The Left parties demand that the central government sharply reduce its  
excise duties, on petroleum products, which are amongst the highest in  
the world today, and provide relief to the people.

Oil marketing companies are making super profits at the expense of  
people. At the same time the central government is earning super  
revenues. This is criminal.

Instead of attending to the problems of survival of the people the  
Modi government is mounting further assaults. In this context, the  
Left parties have decided to organise a all India protest on the  
following demands:

1.	Immediately slash duties on petroleum products and reduce prices.
2.	Immediately transfer Rs. 7500 per month for coming six months to  
all families not in the income tax paying bracket.
3.	Distribute free 10 kg of foodgrains per individual to all the needy.

The Left parties extend their support to the  strike call from July 2  
to 4 of coal workers against the Modi government’s decision for of  
privatization of coal mining.

The Left parties extend their full support and solidarity to the  
central trade unions for their all India protest call, on a charter of  
demands, on July 3, 2020.

The Left parties, in consultation with other secular opposition  
parties, will announce a date for this all India protest.




Sitaram Yechury, Gen. Secretary, CPI(M)
D. Raja, Gen. Secretary, CPI
Dipankar Bhattacharya, Gen. Secretary, CPI(ML)
Manoj Bhattacharya, Gen. Secretary, RSP
Debabrata Biswas, Gen. Secretary, AIFB