Hyderabad, may 16: Breaking the back of common people for the seventh time in 11 months, the Central government has declared another hike in price of petrol- and this time, by a whopping Rs 5 per litre!
Most people are definitely upset about this sudden increase and there were long queues before petrol pumps to petrol before the price hike came into effect. Abhishek Ponia, assistant manager at a sports and entertainment company, is definitely not happy.
“Firstly, it’s ridiculous that fuel prices have increased for the seventh time in the last 11 months. Secondly, the price rise affects the common man both indirectly and directly. I won’t be surprised to find auto drivers going on a strike soon, to demand an increase in the base fare.” Varun Gupta, an entrepreneur agrees. “Increasing petrol rates right after elections is a very bad move on part of the government. This is simply putting extra burden on people, especially for ones who earn less and travel a lot. This hike is definitely not good for the common man.”
This hike is also taking a toll on students. Abhinand Panyam, an engineering student expressed his outrage at the hike. “This is ridiculous! In the past six months, petrol price has increased by about Rs 15. It is a need, not a luxury! The common man needs fuel to travel around. With this hike, the value of every other commodity also gets affected.”
While most are upset about the price hike, others believe in finding a solution. Ajay Bhatia, an MNC employee opines, “Five rupees rise per litre is ridiculous! I think I am going to start using my bike instead of the car.”
Another student, Sneha adds, “My parents are supporting me, so this price hike will not affect me. But, there are a lot of people of my age who support themselves. This will surely affect them and probably make it difficult for them to make ends meet.”
While most denizens reacted negatively to the price hike, some are also looking at a positive aspect.
“I think the only positive thing that can come out is that eventually people might start thinking about other fuel sources like LPG, which is not only cheaper but also gives better mileage. Theys are also non-polluting. So it might cause a change in the long run,” observed Abhishek.
–Agencies