Mamata Banerjee 'shocked' at petrol price hike

Seeking a rollback of hike in prices of petroleum products, Railway minister Mamata Banerjee today said she does not support the move by UPA government.

"I do not support the hike in prices of petro products. I am shocked by this increase in fuel prices which will raise the prices of essential commodities," she told PTI after returning from New Delhi.

The price of kerosene, diesel and cooking gas had been raised which would burden the common people most as it would push up the price of essential commodities, she said.

"I hope Centre will reconsider its decision to hike fuel prices," Banerjee who stayed away from EGoM meeting which decided petro price hike on Friday, she said.

"We are always against price rise," she said.

A day before the decision by the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) to hike the prices of petrol, diesel, LPG and kerosene, Banerjee had met the Finance Minister and expressed her reservations over the move.

The government hiked prices of petrol by Rs3.50 a litre and diesel by Rs2 a litre, raised LPG by Rs35 a cylinder and the poor man's cooking fuel kerosene by Rs3 a litre