From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Congress on Saturday flayed the Modi government for its Mantra that “electoral victory is a licence to loot,” as it has made “Mehangai” (price rise) as an event since after the recent winning of the assembly elections in five states, burdening India with the New Year gift of Rs 1,25,407.20 crore.
The cruel, cumbersome and back-breaking price rise imposed with effect from April 1 has shattered budget of every household, said its general secretary and chief spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala.
He told a Press conference here that “MEHANGAI” is the biggest challenge to sustenance of every individual, “MEHANGAI” is attacking the lives and livelihood of every household and a curse in the life of every citizen, but “MEHANGAI” is a “daily event” being celebrated to mock the people by BJP & Modi Govt.
The chief spokesman listed 13 issues where the people have been slapped with hike in prices. He said: “There is not a single sphere of a citizen’s life, where Prices have not increased and Modi Govt remains responsible for this theft!”
Asserting that the gory story of the Modi government is “loot, rob and fleece,” Surjewala said 62 crore farmers have been taxed with additional burden of Rs 3,600 crore by increasing the price of the 50-kg bag by Rs 150 per bag, while the government’s “daily good morning gift” is hike in prices of petrol and diesel, 10th increase in the last 12 days raising their prices across India by Rs 7.20 per litre.
Quoting the government’s own Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell,” consumption of petrol in 2020-21 was 27,969 thousand metric tonnes and so the additional burden in 12 days on the people is Rs 20,138 crore and its calculation of consumption of diesel in 2020-21 means additional yearly burden on people to the tune of Rs 52,353 crore.
When Congress-UPA government was in power Petrol and Diesel was at Rs 71.41 and Rs 55.49 per litre respectively, which have now been increased to Rs 102.6/litre and Rs 93.87/litre in Delhi, Surjewala said. He said there is shocking 531% hike in excise duty on diesel and 203% increase on petrol since the Modi government came to power in 2014, thus earning Rs 26 lakh crore in eight years.
Surjewala also described the body blow of LPG gas cylinder prices by Rs 346 in the last two months. He said the LPG price hike alone has cost Rs 27,095 crore as additional burden on people while it is the same story in case of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) used by autos, taxis, buses, trucks and cars, the skyrocketing prices of piped antural gas (PNG), toll tax, taxing on medicines.
He said owning of a house has become a mirage for the Indians because of the housing prices and construction costs going up by 15% and rise in the prices of steel, cement andd bricks while abolished is the tax deduction on home loan under the Income Tax Act. He said there is also now tax on PF account, which is the people’s retirement money.
Surjewala said Starting April 1, the cost of not linking Aadhaar with PAN will fetch a fine of ₹500 during April-June, and ₹1,000 till March 2023. The cost of getting a new pan card is ₹107 and for an Aadhaar it is Rs 100. What justifies penalties charges of ₹500 and ₹1000?
He said the prices of cars, AC, refrigerator, LED and Mobiles have also gone up from April 1.
