Diesel price hiked by Rs 5 per litre, Trinamool Congress unhappy

New Delhi: The government on Thursday hiked the price of diesel by Rs 5 per litre, to be effective from midnight. The Cabinet Committee of Political Affairs (CCPA), however, decided not to hike the price of kerosene.

The CCPA, headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, also ended the subsidy on branded diesel fuel saying it would be sold at market rates.

In another major decision, it was decided that a household would get a maximum of six LPG cylinders at the subsidised price per year.

Reacting to the decision of the CCPA, the Trinamool Congress, a key UPA ally, said that the effect of the hike in the diesel price would trickle down to essential commodities.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she was shocked with the decision as her party was not consulted on the issue by the government.

"I am really shocked by the decision. The government did not consult us before hiking the price," said Banerjee.

She also said that the issue was not discussed at the UPA coordination committee even.

Earlier, speaking to CNN-IBN, Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar said, "We will discuss the fallout of the hike in party forum."

The Congress also said that as a party, it was not in favour of the hike. "As a party, we are not in a favour of the hike as it hurts the farmers," said Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh.

He, however, added that "there are some unpleasant decisions that have to be taken by the government in power".

Meanwhile, reacting to the announcement, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said they protested the hike.

BJP leader Ananth Kumar said, "It will have cascading effect on inflation, it will have direct effect on common man, farmers and labourers."

"The cap on the LPG cylinders will hurt the poor. This government has brought back control economy of past era," he added.

The Left Front also opposed the move by the government calling it a "highly condemnable action". CPM leader Brinda Karat said that at a time when food inflation was rising, the diesel price hike would have a cascading effect.