Lorry owners fear hike in diesel prices

The group of ministers who took the call on ¤5-hike in petrol prices on Saturday will meet again early this week to decide on the prices of diesel, kerosene and liquefied petroleum gas.
Owners of vehicles that are diesel-driven have been anxious and have pleaded that the price of diesel be left untouched. If their pleas are not heard, however, the Federation of All India Lorry Owners and Transporters in Bangalore has threatened a massive agitation.

On Monday, the president of the federation, GR Shanmugappa, wrote to the Centre seeking that the price of diesel not be increased. “The price of petrol have seen steep hike. We are afraid that diesel prices too will be hiked, by fearful rates. The price of the tyres we use have shot up over the last couple of years, spare parts too are now so expensive. Hike in diesel prices would make things hard for us,” he said.