II

Following the steep increase in the international prices, the hike in petrol and diesel prices in the country is perfectly justified. The government will have to ensure that the transporters do not exploit the situation and increase the freight charges.

Moreover, there is too much misuse of petrol and diesel. Why should one use scooter or car even to buy vegetables in the nearby market? Instead, why cannot we go to the market by foot or bicycle?

Similarly, government officials too are misusing the vehicles for personal work. This must stop forthwith. The government must encourage car pool to conserve petrol and diesel.

SHER SINGH, Ludhiana

III

The hike in the petrol and diesel prices was on the cards, but the decision was delayed due to the Assembly elections in four states and one Union Territory. The hike will affect the common man, especially the middle class.

Since the formation of the UPA government at the Centre, inflation has gone up. Though two financial experts — Dr Manmohan Singh and Mr P. Chidambaram — are running the country, prices of all essential commodities are going up. And now comes the hike in the prices of petrol and diesel.  Are the UPA allies so “power-hungry” that they don’t care for people’s concerns?

S. K. NAYAR, Panchkula

IV

The petrol price hike will hit both the middle and upper classes. The steep hike comes as a bolt from the blue. This is bound to affect the prices of essential, throwing every household budget off the gear.

Instead of increasing the fuel prices, the government should clamp down other less important subsidies and divert them towards fuel prices to keep them stable.

KRISHNA R. PATEL, Narsinghpur (MP)

V

While statistics make it clear that the hike was inevitable (with the mounting global prices at a $73 a barrel) as also other constraints, the government has ensured that the hike was minimal. The burden will also be Minister for talks. Their demand for a complete 100 per cent rollback is not justified given the ground realities.

KANAV GUPTAm, Bathinda City

VI

Over 40 per cent of the current petrol prices in India constitute taxes that go to the government. The corresponding figure in the US is around 50 per cent. Petrol prices must be kept high to check wasteful consumption, conserve the fast depleting resource and arrest the rapid deterioration in the environmental quality across the world and the resultant climate change.

However, the benefits accruing to the government due to high prices must be utilised exclusively for environmental preservation and improvement of the roads and for ensuring long-term energy security of the country. In any case, the private and public sector oil companies must not be allowed to excessively profit from the high petroleum prices.

R.P. RAMMOHAN, Hyderabad