Thiruvananthapuram: Another round of fuel price hike announced by the federal government in Delhi has had immediate repercussion in Kerala, with Left organisations calling for a motor vehicle strike today.
The federal government had hike petrol prices by nearly Rs2 (Dh0.14) per litre on Thursday, taking the price per litre to over Rs70 in most states.
The 12-hour, dawn to dusk motor strike will commence at 6am. The strike call was initiated by Left organisations, primarily the Centre for Trade Unions, and the All India Trade Union Congress. The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh has also backed the strike call, while the All India Trade Union Congress did not immediately pronounce its decision. The last time such a strike call was made, all trade unions had supported the move.
The strike call is expected to inconvenience scores of Keralites who will be travelling into and out of the state today.
The petrol price hike also figured in the state assembly, where the ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front government was predictably on the back foot, having to defend the decision of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government in Delhi.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said his government's stand was that a fuel price hike should have been avoided, and that the state government would do everything possible to soften the blow caused to the common man by the hike.
The chief minister said the state government would take measures to ensure that the common man got essential commodities.
