By IANS
Chennai : Nearly 15,000 tea-shop owners in Chennai took out a rally to protest the rise in the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).
The protesters marched up to Monroe Statue in the heart of the city to protest the increase in prices of a 19-kg LPG cylinder from Rs.1,160 to Rs.1,175.
“We are a faceless lot. You don’t see us when you come for your tea, only the long stretch between two tumblers and the frothing glass we put down before you when your mind is not working exactly,” said Parvathiamma, minding the popular tea shop at the corner of Clubhouse Road opposite Spencer Plaza, as her husband and son marched to Fort St. George.
In August 2007, the unit cost only Rs.840 but has seen a steady increase over the months.
The protestors handed over a petition to the government at the state secretariat for subsidy. The government has promised to consider their demand.
“LPG commercial cylinders cost the same for five star hotels and for small tea shops,” pointed out V.C. Damodaran, president of Madras Metropolitan Teashop Owners Association leading the protest.