2 days after, MK wakes to price hike

CHENNAI: Reacting to the fuel price hike, DMK president M Karunanidhi on Sunday urged the State Government to emulate West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee and cut sales tax on fuel to lessen the impact of the hike on the people.In a statement here, Karunanidhi said the announcement of Mamta Banerjee to waive cess on LPG to lower the burden on people showed the way for all other State governments. “The government of Tamil Nadu should emulate West Bengal. When the DMK was in power, sales tax was reduced and the State should take a similar measure now.”Pointing out that his party reduced sales tax on diesel twice and provided subsidy for LPG while in power, Karunanidhi also recalled several initiatives taken up during his previous tenure like supply of toor dhal, urad dhal and palmolein besides spices and condiments in PDS outlets at subsidized prices to lessen the severity of price rise.A key constituent of the ruling UPA, the DMK patriarch said the hike would seriously affect the poor and the middle class people. Faulting the Centre for justifying the hike whenever it was done, he said: “Rather than trying to console and justify whenever the hike was effected, the paramount duty of the Union Government should be to fully resolve this issue which affects the common man especially the poor.”