AIADMK coordinator O. Panneerselvam on Tuesday called upon the DMK government to clarify its stand on oil marketing companies’ dual pricing policy on diesel and absorb the losses incurred by the State Transport Corporations on account of the system.
Pointing out that the present per-litre retail price of diesel in Chennai was ₹91.43 and the price for bulk purchase was ₹97.49, he said in a statement that as the State Transport Corporations were among the bulk consumers, they had been incurring a loss of ₹1 crore a day.
Recalling how Jayalalithaa had strongly protested when the system was launched in 2013, he said the former Chief Minister wrote to the then Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, explaining how it was not practicable to increase the bus fare proportionately and people did not have the capacity to pay more. She also ordered the STCs to buy diesel from the open market. Subsequently, the oil marketing companies reduced their prices.
The DMK, which had constantly protested against the increase in the prices of petrol and diesel while in the Opposition, had not condemned the rise of ₹6 in the bulk purchase price so far. It had not even demanded a reduction in the price. “Maybe, for the sake of getting revenue, it seems the DMK welcomes the dual pricing policy,” Mr. Panneerselvam said.
The ruling party’s “double standards” had not only shocked STC employees but also made them anxious whether their wait for the settlement of terminal benefits would grow longer in the light of the price hike, the AIADMK leader said, urging Mr. Stalin to take steps to ease the concerns of the employees.
