Demand to control hike in prices of essential commodities, medicines in Lakhimpur

A CORRESPONDENT

LAKHIMPUR: Agitational programmes against the consecutive increase in the prices of almost all essential commodities during a couple of months, under the rule of BJP-led governments at the Centre and in the State, continue in Lakhimpur district. Regarding the issue, the Lakhimpur district unit of Raijor Dal initiated a two-hour-long sit-in in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office on Tuesday. By staging the protest programme, the leaders and activists of the party flayed both governments alleging their failure to check the price hike by shouting various slogans. Later the party submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma demanding immediate steps to control the sky-rocketing prices of essential commodities, life saving medicines, petrol, diesel, LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) etc.

Addressing the Chief Minister through the memorandum, Lakhimpur district unit Raijor Dal president Azad Hazarika and general secretary Siddiqur Rahman said, "The consecutive increase in the prices of food items, life saving medicines, petro-products has harassed the common people. But it has been observed that the government has initiated no steps to control the price hike. The depressed economy of Assam, which was adversely affected by COVID-19 pandemic, has still not come back to its normal position. Under such circumstances, the people, irrespective of their profession and occupation, from farmers to small scale businessmen, have to suffer a lot. The hike in the prices of fertilizers, fodder in one hand and the artificial scarcity of the same on the other hand has made the farmers, animal rearers face severe loss. The prices of all commodities have increased due to handing over the market system to the monopolistic corporates and it has made the common people suffer a lot. There is a strong possibility of increase in the rate of interest of the bank loans after the decision taken by the Reserve Bank of India to hike the Repo Rate. Sky-rocketing prices of life saving medicines, construction materials have also abruptly affected the common people. Your government has not paid any heed to these issues. The people of the State will have to suffer more in the upcoming days even to procure their fundamental needs due to the neutral attitude of your government towards price hike."

Through the same memorandum, the party demanded to decrease the VAT, Excise Duty of petro-products, price of domestic LPG cylinder, to remove the toll-gates along with other six demands.

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