By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : Leader of Opposition in the Kerala assembly Oommen Chandy Saturday asked the ruling Left Front to lower bus fares and water and electricity charges in view of the reduction in fuel prices.
Speaking to reporters, Chandy pointed out that various cabinet ministers had made statements that they had been forced to raise the prices because of the increase in fuel price.
“We demand that the bus fare be lowered with immediate effect. The fuel price has been reduced almost to the price level that was prevailing in 2006. Then the minimum bus fare was Rs.3 and it was hiked to Rs.4,” Chandy said.
State Food and Civil Supplies Minister C. Divakaran told reporters that the government has asked the trading community to cooperate with the government and reduce the price of essential items.
“We will wait and see what they do and if they don’t cooperate then we will step in,” Divakaran said.
Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan reacting to the reduction in fuel prices demanded that it should be brought down further.
“In the view of the present downward revision, we will come to the aid of the people as far as bus fare is concerned,” Achuthanandan told reporters in Kozhikode.