Kolkata: Threatening to call a general strike in West Bengal if the decision to hike diesel prices and permit FDI in retail were not withdrawn, CPI-M state secretary and politburo member Biman Bose Saturday demanded that state stop taking taxes over the diesel prices as it would provide some relief to the common people.
“The decision to hike diesel prices and allowing FDI in retail are anti-people. We condemn such anti-people decisions. We would protest against it. We ask the union government to roll back this twin anti-people decision immediately,” said Bose.
“If the decisions are not withdrawn, then we will discuss the matter with other Left Parties and will call a general strike in Bengal and that too in this month only. We will not accept such anti-people decisions,” he said.
The government Thursday announced a hike in diesel price by Rs.5 a litre and capped supply of subsidised cooking gas cylinders per family to six per year. The next day, it decided to allow up to 51 percent foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail.
Bose requested the state government headed by Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee – who also has opposed the twin decisions – to stop taking taxes over the diesel prices.
“Until and unless the union government decides to rollback, the state government should stop taking taxes as it would help in bringing down the oil prices thus providing the common people of the state with some relief,” he said.