Mr Vayalar Ravi
Close on the heels of public criticism by the Defence Minister, Mr A.K Antony, the Overseas Affairs Minister, Mr Vayalar Ravi, has also come out against petrol price hike.
The veteran Congressman from Kerala has written a letter to the Petroleum Minister, Mr Jaipal Reddy, seeking “closer scrutiny” of the issue. He said the claims made by oil companies that they are running in loss seem false.
Quoting media reports, he said in the letter that Indian Oil Corporation made a profit of Rs 12,670 crore in the January-March quarter. BPCL also announced a net profit of Rs 3,962 in the same period.
“Apparently the claims made by the oil companies that they are running at a loss, seem to be untrue. As a matter of fact, the expenditure of oil companies, including salaries, is among the highest in India and there is a perception that funds are being wasted,” Mr Ravi said in the letter.
FULL ROLL-BACK
Though the oil companies announced a cut of Rs 2 per litre on Saturday, the UPA ally, the Trinamool Congress and the Opposition parties were still not ready to call back their protests.
The West Bengal Chief Minister, Ms Mamata Banerjee, demanded a complete roll-back.
“I am not happy at the cut in petrol price by Rs 2 a litre. It is not enough. It is still a burden on the common man. There should have been a total roll-back of the hike,” she told reporters in Kolkata.
BJP spokesperson, Mr Rajiv Pratap Rudy, also pressed for a “total roll-back” and wondered whether the hike of Rs 6/litre after the partial roll-back was “acceptable” to the UPA allies.
A CPI(M) statement said “This is unacceptable because the increase in the price of petrol is still Rs 5.54/litre.”
Published on June 3, 2012
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