Cong member attacks govt in RS over diesel price hike

Days after diesel price was hiked by close to Rs 3 a litre, a Congress member in Rajya Sabha today attacked the government for adding to the "miseries" of drought-hit farmers who will have to shell out more for buying the fuel to run tractors or pump sets.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Pramod Tiwari (Cong) said the previous UPA government sold petrol at Rs 60 when the price of crude oil (raw material for making petrol and diesel) was ruling at USD 120 per barrel.
Now that the international crude prices have dipped to USD 40-45, petrol in Delhi costs Rs 62.19 a litre and diesel Rs 50.95 per litre, he said.

Petrol price was on late Saturday night hiked by Rs 1.06 per litre and diesel by Rs 2.94 a litre.
Costlier fuel, he said, will add to the miseries of drought-hit farmers who would now have to pay more to run their irrigation pump sets and tractors.
"Why increase the prices when we are facing drought and water crisis," he questioned.

Tiwari said sugar prices have shot up to Rs 50 per kg and that of dal to Rs 170-180 a kg. In Kashmir, dal is being sold at Rs 235 per kg, he said.
"If the increased price of commodities had gone to farmers, we would have been content. But the benefit is being robbed by blackmarketers and hoarders flourishing under the patronage of the present government," he said.

He wanted to know who are the middlemen who are looting the common man and killing farmers.