Politics
BRS to zero in on ‘world’s most expensive’ LPG, steep fuel prices
Hyderabad, Aug 27 (IANS) Price rise and highest inflation rate is likely to be among the key issues in Telangana Assembly elections, slated to be held in November-December this year.
While the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) is likely to corner the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the high inflation rate, the ‘world’s costliest’ LPG and steep hike in fuel prices, it may come under attack from the latter and also from the Congress over Telangana recording the highest inflation rate consistently among all states.
The BJP is likely to hit back at BRS for not reducing Value Added Tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel to pass on the benefits to the customers despite several states slashing VAT.
The BJP leaders may also cite the fact that Telangana has been witnessing inflation rate that is consistently the highest among the states.
The Congress is likely to blame the policies of both the BJP and the BRS governments for the price rise. While attacking the BJP over the skyrocketing prices of fuel and LPG, its leaders may also slam the BRS for not reducing VAT on fuel and failing to check the high inflation.
According to the Economic Survey 2022-23, Telangana logged the highest inflation rate in the country. The state had an inflation rate of 8.7 per cent between April and December 2022, in contrast to the national average of 6.8 per cent. Inflation in the rural areas of Telangana was higher at 9.2 per cent while in the urban areas, it was 8.3 per cent.
For March 2023, it was 7.63 per cent, almost 200 basis points more than the national average.
BJP leader Amit Malviya attributed this to high taxes on fuel and a broken Public Distribution System (PDS), which is meant to feed the poor.
Telangana has one of the highest fuel taxes in the country. The transportation of goods and services is costlier. Higher housing and commercial rentals are also adding to the inflation.
Experts say the high inflation rate may push up the cost of living, hurting Telangana’s competitiveness vis-a-vis other states in attracting investment.
Aiming for a third consecutive term in power, BRS may go all out to attack the BJP for burdening the common man with steep hike in prices of diesel and petrol.
Over the last few months, the BRS has been targeting the BJP over the issue of price rise. In March, BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao had demanded the BJP-led Union government to apologise to the nation for skyrocketing fuel prices.
In an open letter, he had stated that the Central government is looting the public by citing international crude oil prices as the reason for the fuel price hike, but their “deceit” has been exposed.
“In 2013, when the cost of one crude oil barrel was $110, the cost of one litre petrol was Rs 76. Now, when the cost of one crude oil barrel is $66, the cost of one litre petrol is Rs 110,” KTR had pointed out.
He also accused the Centre of fleecing the poor and middle-class public by increasing prices.
“Due to the 45 per cent hike in fuel prices since 2014, all the essential commodities have become costlier,” he said.
The BRS leader said that due to the rise in diesel prices, the state governments are forced to increase public transport charges and the public transport system is on the brink of a crisis because of the Central government.
He also said that inflation is at a 45-year high due to the failures of the Union government.
KTR did not agree that bringing fuel under the purview of GST would reduce prices.
“The LPG cylinder price, which is under GST, has been hiked from Rs 400 to Rs 1200, making it the costliest LPG cylinder in the world,” he said.
A few months ago, the BRS organised huge protests over hike in LPG prices.
Finance Minister T. Harish Rao alleged that the BJP has almost lifted the subsidy on cooking gas.
During the UPA regime, the subsidy was Rs 2.14 lakh crore, but after the BJP came to power, it reduced the subsidy every year and it has now come down to Rs 37,209 crore, he said.
The minister recalled that the price of domestic cooking gas cylinder in 2014 was Rs 410.50 which has now gone up to Rs 1,155.
“In nine years, the price of a cylinder has increased by Rs 744.50, marking an increase of 178 per cent during this period,” he said.
The BJP leaders may counter this criticism by pointing to the fact that Telangana has one of the highest taxes on fuel.
They also point out that the Centre reduced petrol prices twice, but the Telangana government has not reduced VAT on fuel. Petrol and diesel prices in Telangana are among the highest in the country.
The rising input costs for agriculture is also likely to be an issue during the elections. Farmers are struggling to tackle this issue. They say that the increase in input costs is wiping out the investment support they get under Rythu Bandhu.
The state government is paying Rs 10,000 per acre annually under the scheme. Many farmers complain that a huge jump in input costs is pushing them into losses every year.
The increase in prices of seeds, fertilisers and other inputs has hit the farmers hard. As most of the farming has become mechanised, the rise in diesel prices has come as another big blow for the farming community.
Due to the high cost of labour, many farmers are unable to hire agricultural labourers.
In this context, the BRS government’s recent move to waive agriculture loans up to Rs 1 lakh may help it win the support of farmers by providing them some relief, said political analyst Palwai Raghvendra Reddy.
The KCR government on August 14 had announced that it will waive farm loans of less than Rs 1 lakh of over nine lakh farmers. The government spent Rs 5809.78 crore for this purpose.
After assuming power for a second straight time in 2018, KCR had made the promise of waiving loans of farmers who took crop loans of less than Rs 1 lakh by December 11, 2018.
However, due to the Corona pandemic, the ensuing lockdown and the consequences of demonetisation in the country, the government faced a big difficulty in mobilising the resources.
On August 2, KCR decided to complete the loan waiver in 45 days. The government paid Rs 1943. 64 crore to the banks in respect of 7,19,488 farmers who took loans up to Rs 50,000.
Fresh orders were issued to settle the debt amount up to Rs 99,999.
With the latest decision, the government has paid Rs 7,753 crore, benefiting a total of 16,66,899 farmers.
Chennai, Feb 3 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Saturday said that 6,939 people of the state were waiting for organ transplantation.
In a statement, he said that 6,266 patients were waiting for kidney transplantation, 400 for liver, 62 for heart, 25 for heart and lung, 27 for hands, two for small bowel,41 for kidney and liver, 42 for kidney and pancreas, two for pancreas and small bowel.
Subramanian also said that the state saw 32 brain dead organ donors since the start of this year, and added that organ donation has also increased in the state.
The minister also said that after Chief Minister M. K. Stalin had on September 23, 2023 announced State honours for funeral of brain dead donors, 4,097 persons have pledged to donate their organs.
The family of a 57-year-old man, who was declared brain dead at the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital, consented to donate his organs and the minister placed a wreath on his body.
Subramanian also said that government was planning to create more awareness about organ donation in the state and added that film and TV stars and sports personalities will be roped in as brand ambassadors to create awareness in the state on organ donation.
Chennai, Feb 3 (IANS) Chief Minister MK Stalin, who is on a trip to Spain to garner investment, has called upon the DMK cadres to work hard and ensure that the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) win from all the 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu as well as the one seat in Puducherry.
In a letter to the cadres on Saturday on the occasion of the death anniversary of DMK ideologue and late Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu CN Annadurai, Stalin who is also the president of DMK, exhorted the cadres not to rest until the INDIA bloc wins from all the seats of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
The death anniversary of CN Annadurai, fondly addressed as Anna in Tamil Nadu, falls on February 3 (Saturday).
Annadurai has an emotional connect with the DMK cadres as he was the first Chief Minister from the Dravidian party in Tamil Nadu.
Stalin in the letter said, “Go and tell the people about the achievements of the DMK government and how the BJP government at the Centre has betrayed Tamil Nadu.”
He also cautioned the cadres that the BJP and the AIADMK will engage in false propaganda against the party and called upon them not to get diverted by such tactics.
Stalin said, “Let us prove that we don’t fear anything through our field work.”
The Chief Minister also said that the Union Interim Budget had ignored Tamil Nadu and many other states.
He also expressed confidence that the INDIA bloc would form the next government at the Centre and autonomy of states would be safeguarded.
Politics
Delhi Police team again at Kejriwal’s residence to serve notice, CMO dubs it defamation tactic (Ld)
New Delhi, Feb 3 (IANS) A team of Delhi Police’s Crime Branch on Saturday morning again reached the residence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to serve him a notice in connection with a probe over his allegations that the BJP was trying to “buy” AAP MLAs.
Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister’s office said that they are ready to receive notice but police are not giving it, when we even told them that a “receiving” will be given.
“Police’s objective is not to serve notice but to defame,” said an CMO official.
A team of Delhi Police’s Crime Branch on Saturday morning again reached the residence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to serve him a notice in connection with the allegations that BJP was trying to “buy” AAP MLAs.
Sources said that the team had asked Kejriwal to provide evidence in the matter.
On Friday, as per sources, besides Kejriwal’s residence, the Crime Branch team also went to AAP Minister Atishi’s residence to serve a notice. However, the notices were not accepted at either location.
“Atishi was not at home, while Kejriwal was also not at home. The Crime Branch team is likely to come again tomorrow,” the sources said.
Meanwhile, Delhi BJP President Virendraa Sachdeva had said the saffron party welcomes reports of Crime Branch launching an inquiry into AAP’s allegations of the BJP “luring” AAP MLAs.
The Delhi BJP had filed a complaint on January 30, stating that it has made no such offer to AAP MLAs, while demanding a police inquiry into Kejriwal’s allegations.
Sachdeva had said that the Crime Branch has served a notice to Kejriwal, he should either submit evidence to support his allegations or be prepared to face criminal proceedings.
New Delhi, Feb 3 (IANS) Former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani will be conferred the Bharat Ratna, announced Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday. A BJP stalwart, Advani is also the founding member of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).
Born on November 8, 1927, 96-year-old Advani served as the 7th Deputy Prime Minister of India from 2002 to 2004. He is the longest serving Minister of Home Affairs serving from 1998 to 2004. He is also the longest serving Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. He was the prime ministerial candidate of the BJP during the 2009 general election.
The Prime Minister took to his personal X handle to announce the highest civilian award for LK Advani and informed that he also congratulated the party veteran on being conferred with the nation’s highest civilian honour.
“I am very happy to share that LK Advani will be conferred the Bharat Ratna. I also spoke to him and congratulated him on being conferred this honour..,” PM Narendra Modi tweeted.
Notably, Bharat Ratna is the nation’s highest civilian award, given as a mark of recognition for exceptional & distinguished service.
Showering praises on the towering stature & exemplary leadership of BJP patriarch, PM Modi wrote, “One of the most respected statesmen of our times, his contribution to the development of India is monumental. His is a life that started from working at the grassroots to serving the nation as our Deputy Prime Minister. He distinguished himself as our Home Minister and I&B Minister as well.”
Advani is widely credited as one of the tallest leaders who scripted BJP’s rise from ‘oblivion to prominence’. It was after his Rath Yatra in 1990s that catapulted the saffron party into national politics.
For the unversed, LK Advani is the second BJP stalwart to be conferred with Bharat Ratna. Prior to him, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was also honored with Bharat Ratna in 2015.
Patna, Feb 3 (IANS) Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular chief Jitan Ram Manjhi has demanded two ministerial berths in the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government in Bihar.
“RJD offered me the post of Chief Minister but I refused it. Now, the NDA government is giving us only one berth in the cabinet which is absolutely wrong. I told Union Home Minister Amit Shah and MoS Home Nityanand Rai that our party needed two ministry portfolios,” Manjhi said on Friday.
The former Bihar Chief Minister further expressed displeasure “allotment of ministry portfolio” to independent MLA Sumit Sumit Singh.
“The Bihar government has made an independent MLA a cabinet minister and we also heard that he is getting the department as per his wish, which is absolutely wrong. I am objecting to it,” he said.
Manjhi sought cabinet berth for his party’s state President and MLA Anil Kumar, who belongs to the upper caste community.
“He (Anil Kumar) became MLA for the fourth time and it would be beneficial for our party if he would become the cabinet minister. Our party will become stronger in Magadh region on the social front if he becomes the cabinet minister,” the HAM-S chief said.
At the swearing-in ceremony of the new NDA government, Santosh Manjhi took the oath on January 28.
Reacting to the “delay in the distribution of ministries”, Manjhi said: “I have not seen anything like this in my political career of 44 years that a government was formed but the ministry portfolios were not allotted. The Chief Minister had said on the day of swearing-in ceremony that the cabinet expansion would take place within two to three days but it has not happened till now.”
The HAM-S chief also advocated for the review of liquor prohibition law. He said that his party has a longstanding demand to lift the ban or be implemented on the line of Gujarat.
“A large number of poor people consumed 250 to 300 ml liquor and are serving jail terms due to this law. Hence, we have demanded the liquor law should be implemented on the line of Gujarat,” he said.
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