LPG Price Hike: BJD Questions Odisha BJP’s Silence Over LPG Price, Does PM Modi Want People To Consume Uncooked Rice? Asks MLA Soumya Patnaik
The ruling BJD has again questioned the silence of BJP lawmakers from Odisha in what they claimed on issues affecting the populace of the state.
Addressing a presser, Senior BJD leader and MLA Soumya Ranjan Patnaik along with BJD Spokesperson Shreemayee Mishra said, “the Centre brought in Ujjwala Yojana to provide subsidized cylinders with an intent that women of Odisha and India will not have tears in their eyes due to the earlier smoke of firewood.But the rapid hiking of LPG Cooking Gas prices by them has brought tears not only to the eyes of the mothers and sisters of Odisha but today the kitchen in households of Odisha is also in tears, bringing them great pain and hardship.
The price of a domestic LPG cylinder (14.2 kg cylinder), which was was Rs. 410 on March 2014, has gone up to Rs. 1103 following the hike on March 1. “The price has been increased by almost 3 times in the past 9 years. This clearly exposes the doublespeak of the Centre, which had promised to provide cheap cooking gas,” Patnaik said.
“Due to such steep hiking of Cooking Gas, lakhs of mothers and sisters of Odisha are unable to refill the gas and are again compelled to return to using firewood.The Centre stopped the 5 kg free rice per person under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) which was being additionally to the 5 kg free rice under NFSA. Now by hiking the Cooking Gas prices by three times in 9 years, they have dealt a double blow on the common man’s kitchen and household.”
“We are surprised as to why Odisha BJP is so silent? It seems they are more interested in diverting peoples and women issues. Why are they not wanting to discuss about issues like this which affects the common man and woman, his and her kitchen, family, life and livelihood? Is playing politics all that matters to Odisha BJP and not the tears of the mothers due to these hiking of LPG Cooking Gas?”
“The Biju Janata Dal demands that the Government of India must take immediate steps in reducing the price of LPG cooking gas. The Biju JanataDal stands with the people of Odisha and especially the mothers and sistersof Odisha who are facing a tough time in running the kitchen with theseescalating prices. We hope the Centre will take urgent andimmediate steps in this regard and ensure that the common man and especially the mothers and sisters of Odisha are notadversely affected in these troubled times.We also hope that the Odisha BJP is also break its silence and speak up for such issues that affects the lives of 4.5 crore people of Odisha, and especially severely affects the lakhs of mothers and sisters of Odisha and their kitchens,” added Patnaik.
The hike in the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder by Rs 50 on Wednesday, has once again added to the woes of common people who are already hard-pressed with rising cost of essential commodities since the pandemic.
“We hope the Centre will take urgent and immediate steps in this regard and ensure that the common man, especially the mothers and sisters of Odisha, are not adversely affected in these troubled times.We also hope that the Odisha BJP will also break its silence and speak up on issues that affect the 4.5 crore people of the state,” he added.
