Frequent petrol price hike not desirable: Mamata

A day after Trinamool Congress protested against petrol price hike and alleged that the party was not consulted by the Centre, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said frequent rise in the prices of the fuel was not desirable.

"We don't want another petrol price hike and we have already conveyed our viewpoint to the Centre," Banerjee said.

Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat that frequent petrol price hikes push up prices of essential commodities and this has been conveyed to the Centre through the party's All-India general secretary Mukul Roy.

The chief minister said that her party did not rest content with just making a protest, but gave relief to common people in the past, whereas the CPI(M) never did anything for them when there were past price hikes.

Banerjee was referring to the reduction of VAT on LPG by Rs 16 per cylinder by her government in the previous instance of petrol and LPG price hike.

Expressing opposition to LPG price hike, she said her government had taken to streets and made surprise checks in big retail markets.