KTR slams Centre over LPG price hike, silence on US tariffs

Hyderabad: Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K. T. Rama Rao has slammed the Central government for the hike in the prices of petroleum products and its silence on the tariff imposed by the United States.

He said that despite a drop in oil rates in the international market, the government has increased the price of an LPG cylinder by Rs 50. He said that instead of lowering the prices, the government has increased them. KTR told media persons that as a result of this hike, the prices of essential commodities and transportation charges will go up steeply, hitting hard the common man. The BRS leader asked if these were the ‘acche din’ which the BJP had promised. He said before elections, the party makes statements about lowering the prices, but increases the same after winning the elections.

The former minister alleged that the Union government is trying to centralise funds by increasing the prices in the form of cesses and not taxes. “Increase in price of LPG cylinders by Rs 50, imposition of an additional Rs 2 excise duty on petrol and diesel, and wiping out of Rs 19 lakh crore in a single day in the Sensex crash are Mr Narendra Modi’s hat-trick in a single day,” he remarked.

KTR criticised the Centre for not speaking on the new tariff policy of US President Donald Trump. Neither the Prime Minister nor the Finance Minister has spoken on this issue.