As part of All India Congress Committee (AICC) mass protest programme opposing the rise in the prices of petrol and diesel, the Congress party in Goa has orgsed a demonstration at district levels on June 29, state party president Girish Chodankar said.
"Congress party office-bearers and all frontal orgsations will sit in a two-hour dharna from 10 am to 12 noon near South Goa District Collectorate Office at Margao and in front of Deputy Collector's office at Mapusa demanding rollback in the rise of fuel prices. The party workers will maintain all social distancing norms and they will be wearing protective masks," Chodankar said in a press note.
The dharna will conclude with the presentation of a memorandum addressed to President Ram Nath Kovind through the respective District Magistrates.
"On the same day, the AICC social media team will also hold a massive online campaign, that is 'Speak-Up on Petroleum Price Hike'. The leaders, party functionaries and sympathisers will put up live videos and posts highlighting the plights of bus owners, truck owners, taxi owners, trawler owners, farmers, rickshaw operators, motorcycle pilots, pickup rickshaws, the salaried class having four-wheelers/two-wheelers, youth and common man in particular," Chodankar said.
The state Congress chief asserted that the central government has increased the prices of petrol and diesel for the last 23 consecutive days, putting a huge burden on the shoulders of the people.
"The BJP government has hiked 820 per cent in excise duty on diesel and 258 per cent excise duty on petrol. The central government had amassed huge profits on account of exorbitantly increased central excise duties on petrol and diesel and collected around Rs 18 lakh crore even as prices of international crude have been at a record low. Rather than passing on the benefits of the low cost of procurement to the people, the government has deliberately kept the price high by increasing the excise duty," he added.
Chodankar further said that the Goa government has increased Value Added Tax (VAT) on petrol to 25 per cent while on diesel by 22 per cent, in addition to the rise in excise duty by the Centre.
( With inputs from ANI )