GUWAHATI: After a hike in kitchen essentials, including mustard oil and eggs, the spiralling increase in fuel price has hammered the people when the entire country has faced severe economic crisis due to Covid-induced lockdown.
Petrol price in Guwahati, the biggest town in the northeast, is about to hit a century.
A litre of petrol is being sold at Rs 91.68 while that of diesel at Rs 88.50 on Friday here.
The state is currently under a 16-hour curfew, restricting all kinds of outdoor activities, barring essential services.
The prices of petrol and diesel were hiked five times since June 1.
The cost of one litre of petrol was Rs 90.20 on the first day of June and Rs 87.14 on May 1.
Similarly, the cost of one litre of diesel was Rs 85.23 on June 1 and Rs 81.33 on May 1.
The trend of price hikes was paused in March and April, just after the election dates for five states – Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry — were announced in February.
Instead, prices were reduced three times in March and once in April.
But they were hiked again in May 16 times, with petrol rising by Rs 3.53 per litre and diesel by Rs 4.70 per litre.
On June 1, petrol and diesel prices saw another hike, amounting to a total 43 hikes in over five months this year.
Uncontrolled prices of fuel and kitchen essentials have drawn criticism from both the political and apolitical spectrum of the society.
Congress in Assam staged a statewide protest against the price hike in fuel on Friday.
The party questioned the government’s silence in controlling the spiraling prices of fuel and kitchen essentials.
Senior Congress member and CLP leader in the Assam assembly, Debabrata Saikia, participated in a protest in his home constituency Nazira in upper Assam’s Sivasagar district.
“At a time when the entire country is facing a financial crisis due to Covid-19, our BJP-led government is busy in tax collection through petroleum products.
Such kind of insensitivity shows how the government is inhuman and heartless,” he added.
Meanwhile, the state Congress president, who got discharged from hospital after recovering from Covid-19 on Friday, tweeted: “Remember, vaccines are free? So, BJP is like …hike fuel prices.”