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Kerala HC fuels protest
Blasts oil companies for frequent hike
The Kerala High Court on Friday unleashed scathing criticism against the oil companies for the recent hike in petrol prices.
While considering a public interest litigation filed by former Union Minister PC Thomas against the frequent fuel price hikes, a Division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice CN Ramachandran Nair and Justice PS Gopinathan said the common man was now being forced to depend on the mercy of the oil companies.
“There is no consumer resistance. They are getting adjusted to frequent hikes. We are concerned about the price hike,” the court said. The Division Bench also directed the Centre and the State to file their counter-affidavits in three weeks. It, however, said granting authority for fixing prices of petroleum products was a policy matter of the Centre in which it could interfere at this stage.
Flaying the frequent hikes in petrol prices, the High Court said the Central and State Governments could not wash their hands of it. It directed the IOC and Reliance Petroleum to produce their balance sheets and quarterly reports within three weeks. It also said there had been a 40 per cent hike in petroleum prices, causing immense hardship to the common man.
Meanwhile, protests raged across Kerala against the `1.82-per-litre hike in petrol price on Friday even as the State Government decided to forego the sales tax on the increased price component. The State Assembly unanimously passed a resolution asking the Centre to take back the right to control fuel prices from the oil companies.
The Motor Vehicle Workers Coordination Committee will hold a Statewide dawn-to-dusk vehicle strike on Saturday in protest against the petrol price hike. Left trade unions and the BMS would participate in the agitation but unions of the constituents of the Congress-led ruling UDF would stay away from it.
Senior Congress leader VM Sudheeran alleged that the UPA Government in the Centre was in an unholy alliance with oil companies. He called for a CAG examination of the balance sheets of the oil companies.
Pro-CPI(M) student and youth organisations on Friday staged protests across Kerala against the price hike. CPI(M) and DYFI activists held agitations at all district headquarters. DYFI activists blocked a train at the Thalassery railway station in Kannur. DYFI activists waved black flags at Union Minister GK Vasan at several places in Kochi.
Deputy Opposition leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan suggested an amendment to the resolution read out by the Chief Minister that it should ask the Centre to roll back the increased petrol price but the ruling side rejected this. However, the Opposition decided not to oppose the resolution, leading its unanimous adoption in the House.
Blasts oil companies for frequent hike
The Kerala High Court on Friday unleashed scathing criticism against the oil companies for the recent hike in petrol prices.
While considering a public interest litigation filed by former Union Minister PC Thomas against the frequent fuel price hikes, a Division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice CN Ramachandran Nair and Justice PS Gopinathan said the common man was now being forced to depend on the mercy of the oil companies.
“There is no consumer resistance. They are getting adjusted to frequent hikes. We are concerned about the price hike,” the court said. The Division Bench also directed the Centre and the State to file their counter-affidavits in three weeks. It, however, said granting authority for fixing prices of petroleum products was a policy matter of the Centre in which it could interfere at this stage.
Flaying the frequent hikes in petrol prices, the High Court said the Central and State Governments could not wash their hands of it. It directed the IOC and Reliance Petroleum to produce their balance sheets and quarterly reports within three weeks. It also said there had been a 40 per cent hike in petroleum prices, causing immense hardship to the common man.
Meanwhile, protests raged across Kerala against the `1.82-per-litre hike in petrol price on Friday even as the State Government decided to forego the sales tax on the increased price component. The State Assembly unanimously passed a resolution asking the Centre to take back the right to control fuel prices from the oil companies.
The Motor Vehicle Workers Coordination Committee will hold a Statewide dawn-to-dusk vehicle strike on Saturday in protest against the petrol price hike. Left trade unions and the BMS would participate in the agitation but unions of the constituents of the Congress-led ruling UDF would stay away from it.
Senior Congress leader VM Sudheeran alleged that the UPA Government in the Centre was in an unholy alliance with oil companies. He called for a CAG examination of the balance sheets of the oil companies.
Pro-CPI(M) student and youth organisations on Friday staged protests across Kerala against the price hike. CPI(M) and DYFI activists held agitations at all district headquarters. DYFI activists blocked a train at the Thalassery railway station in Kannur. DYFI activists waved black flags at Union Minister GK Vasan at several places in Kochi.
Deputy Opposition leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan suggested an amendment to the resolution read out by the Chief Minister that it should ask the Centre to roll back the increased petrol price but the ruling side rejected this. However, the Opposition decided not to oppose the resolution, leading its unanimous adoption in the House.
