TMC protests petrol price hike

Trinamool Congress, UPA constituent at the Centre, today said it was not consulted before a decision regarding the latest hike in petrol prices was taken, even as CPI-M's labour wing announced a three-hour transport strike tomorrow.

“Our leader Mamata Banerjee met Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee last evening at the airport here, and even there the decision on hiking prices was not communicated to her”, Trinamool MP Sudip Bandopadhyay told reporters here.

He said it would be better if such issues were discussed among UPA members before such decisions were taken.

Saying that the price rise was a sensitive issue, Trinamool Congress senior leader Partha Chatterjee said, “We were not consulted before the hike was announced.”

Chatterjee said statewide protest-rallies and meetings would be held on January 17 and 18 against the latest petrol price rise.

“We urge the Centre to roll back the petrol price hike and control the prices of essentials,” he said.

CITU announced a three-hour statewide transport

CPI-M’s trade union wing CITU also announced a three-hour statewide transport strike from noon tomorrow to protest against the petrol price rise.

CITU would also hold a protest meeting at Metro Channel at 1.00 pm tomorrow.