Charging the UPA Government with 'failure' to control prices of essential commodities, CPI said left parties would resist any attempt to increase the prices of petroleum products.
CHENNAI: Charging the UPA Government at the Centre with 'failure' to control prices of essential commodities, CPI on Saturday said left parties would resist any attempt to increase the prices of petroleum products.
CPI national secretary D Raja said Left parties would oppose both inside and outside Parliament if the Centre increased the price of petroleum products.
As increase of diesel price would have a cascading effect on the price of essential commodities, the Government should explore alternative means to lessen the loss incurred by oil companies instead of placing the burden on the common man, he said.
Raja said the Left parties had already suggested that the Centre and state governments reduce the customs and excise duties and the sales tax levied on petroleum products to rescue the loss-making oil companies.
He also asked the Centre to review the Patents Act to check the spiraling cost of life-saving drugs. The prices of drugs had shot up after the Centre brought in amendments to the Patents Act. The Act should be subjected to complete review to contain the price rise, he said.
Noting that unemployment had become a major social issue, he said the Left would oppose any move to raise the retirement age of government employees from the present 60.
He also stressed that the Union Budget for 2008-09 should accord priority for the farming sector, if the Prime Minister's vision of four per cent growth in agriculture was to be realised.
Raja also urged the Centre to implement the recommendation made by the National Commission for Farmers to reduce the farm loan interest to four per cent.
The Government should also announce adequate MSP for paddy and ensure that public investment in agriculture was stepped up, he added.
Stating that inadequate price for their produce and debts were driving farmers to commit suicide, he urged Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram to address the farmers' issues in the budget.
Accusing Chidamabaram of having given several concessions to corporates in the previous budgets, Raja said the Centre should change its tax policy and increase the corporate tax.
He also cautioned the Finance Minister against taking any unilateral decision on the merger of banks, saying it would trigger a crisis in the banking sector.
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