Summary:
Dehradun, Mar 30 (PTI) The opposition came down heavily on the government in the Uttarakhand assembly on Wednesday on the issue of rising prices with Congress legislators saying free rations do not mean anything if inflation is not controlled."Inflation has made the life of people miserable.
The government is looting with both hands.
It is strange that at a time when crude oil prices have gone down drastically in the international market, petrol and diesel prices have crossed Rs 100 and Rs 90 (a litre) respectively," Congress MLA from Chakrata, Pritam Singh, said.The Congress-led UPA had kept petrol and diesel prices under control in 2014 even when crude oil price in the international market was USD 132 a barrel, he claimed."How will the common man survive?" Singh asked.Bajpur MLA Yashpal Arya said it was unfortunate that despite the inflation rate touching the skies, there was not even a word on the issue in the Governor"s address to the House."If it were a welfare government it would have taken effective steps to control prices.
Giving free rations to people becomes meaningless if we cannot rid them of back-breaking inflation," he said.Haridwar (Rural) MLA Anupama Rawat said the price of a LPG cylinder has crossed Rs 1,000 and demanded either a subsidy on it or its free distribution among people at least for a few months.
Earlier, in the pre-lunch session of the House, members paid tributesto former speaker Harbans Kapoor and former MLA Gopal Dutt Ojha, who passed away in December last year and January respectively.Harbans Kapoor was an eight-time BJP MLA and speaker of the Uttarakhand assembly from 2007 to 2012.He was remembered as a simple man full of humility despite holding key positions during his long political career and a person who was always in direct contact with the people of his constituency.Ojha was a Congress MLA from Didihat thrice.
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