MARGAO
The South Goa Congress Committee chief Joe Dias on Saturday informed that while the Congress party has called for a nation-wide bandh across the country on September 10, the party will not observe the bandh in Goa in view of the ensuing Ganesh Chathurti.
Addressing the media in the presence of outgoing South Goa District Congress President Subhash Faldesai, Joe, however, said the party workers will fan out to various fuel pumps across the State to distribute pamphlets to the motorists drawing their attention to the rising prices of petrol and diesel since the time the NDA government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014.
“The Congress party in Goa has decided not to enforce the bandh on September 10 since the Ganesh Chathurti festival is scheduled two days later on September 13 and 14,”
Joe said.
Subhash Faldesai said while the international prices of oil have come down during the last four years, oil prices in India have seen a continuous upward trend due to the government’s bad policies. Asserting that the high rate of excise duty was also the cause of the soaring prices of oil, he demanded a roll back in the excise duty on oil.
“During the UPA regime headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the excise duty on fuel was nine per cent, which has now touched as high as 17 per cent under Modi’s tenure,” he added.
The Congress pointed out that the profits of the public sector oil companies have touched a new high during the Modi regime, demanding that the oil companies give relief by passing on the profits to the motorists.
Meanwhile, North Goa District President Vijay Bhike informed that the party would instead hold “peaceful awareness” get-togethers at the main petrol pumps across North Goa, where pamphlets will be distributed.
The party’s main objection is that petrol costs Rs 74.78 per liter currently, while crude oil costs USD 66.80 per barrel. “When the price of crude oil has gone down by half since 2014 when it was USD 134.80 per barrel, why has petrol gone up by Rs 20 since 2014?” asked Bhike, while reminding people that CM Parrikar had promised Goans that fuel would not cross the Rs 65 per liter mark.
If the CM is really concerned about Goans, he should take out VAT from the price of petrol within the next 24 hours, challenged Bhike.
