Centre will increase LPG cylinder price by Rs.200 on Nov 2: Harish Rao

Huzurabad: Finance Minister T Harish Rao on Monday said the price of an LPG cylinder would go up to Rs 1,250 since the Union government was planning to increase its price by Rs 200 on November 2.

“The BJP government at the Centre hiked cooking gas price to Rs 1,000 from 500 after abolishing subsidy in the last seven years. Instead of taking steps to reduce the price, the Centre is planning to increase the price further by Rs 200 on November 2,” he said, adding that the Centre should provide Rs 500 subsidy if it had any concern towards the poor.

Referring to BJP candidate for Huzurabad bypoll Eatala Rajender’s comments that the State government was imposing Rs 291 tax on cooking gas, the Minister said Rajender had failed to turn up for his challenge to debate on the issue even after 10 days.

Addressing a campaign meeting in Challur of Veenavanka mandal, the Minister said the BJP government increased the prices of diesel and petrol 18-folds within a span of one month. The Union government hiked its tax on petrol and diesel to Rs 32 from Rs 4 seven years ago. Out of Rs 100, the Centre takes Rs 32 towards its tax, he said.

Unfortunately, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy was attributing the increase in prices of petroleum products to the surge in crude oil prices in the international market while another Central Minister said that 95 per cent of people do not need petrol which only shows how insensitive the



BJP is towards the people, Harish Rao added. Instead of promising to reduce the prices of petroleum products if their candidate was elected in bypolls, top BJP leaders were spreading lies, the TRS leader said.

Harish Rao said cultivation cost has increased abnormally due to hike in the price of diesel and petrol and that farmers have to spend Rs 6,000 to till an acre of land in the Yasangi season.

“Rajender claimed that the Union Government was contributing Rs 5,000 to KCR Kit scheme being implemented in Telangana. If it is true, why has the scheme not been implemented in other States, he questioned.

Farmers in Uttar Pradesh were setting paddy on fire due to lack of procurement by the State government. There is no system in place for paddy procurement in BJP ruled States. Telangana is the only State procuring every grain produced by the farmers, Harish Rao said while addressing the voters.

Rajender, who worked as MLA six times and Minister for two terms, failed to sanction at least a skill development center to Huzurabad. The BJP leader established his medical college in Hyderabad but failed to sanction even a degree college to the constituency, Harish Rao said.

Hailing Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao for nominating Gellu Srinivas as the TRS candidate for Huzurabad bypoll, Harish Rao said the CM provided an opportunity to youth who took part in Statehood agitation.