Cong tears into govt over price rise

ibune News Service

Dharamsala, November 10

The Congress here today held a protest against the price rise and slowdown in economy. The protest was led by HPCC president Kuldeep Rathore.

Addressing a procession that started from Kunal Hotel of the HPTDC and ended at the Deputy Commissioner’s office at Dharamsala, the HPCC president alleged that the prices of essential commodities were rising and the Centre, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was a mute spectator to it. He said the price of onion had reached Rs 100 per kg. The prices of petrol and diesel were on a high despite the fact that these were low in international markets.

Rathore alleged that while the prices of essential commodities were increasing, farmers were getting lesser price for their produce.

Ajay Mahajan, general secretary of the HPCC, said many industrial units had closed down and thousands of the local youth had lost their jobs. In Kangra district alone, about 4,000 youth had lost jobs as hotels owners had to cut down jobs due to lesser business and revenues.

Mahajan alleged that the government had failed to create jobs. Various infrastructure projects, announced before the parliamentary poll, had failed to take off. The people were suffering as the government was neither acquiring lands for national highways, nor allowing them to construct anything on their lands.

The leaders alleged the government had increased the prices of fuel and LPG. The government was taking these steps as the revenue collection had dropped.

Ashish Butail, Congress MLA from Palampur, alleged that tea farmers of Kangra were suffering as its prices had nosedived. The government should help out the distressed farmers of Kangra district.

Former minister Sudhir Sharma, MLA from Kangra Pawan Kajal, former MLAs Sanjay Rattan and Jagjivan Pal, HPCC general secretaries RS Bali and Kewal Singh Pathania were present.