Photo Courtesy: nenews
Kohima: The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee staged a protest rally in Dimapur on Saturday to condemn the sharp increase in petrol, diesel, and cooking gas prices. Party members gathered to demand immediate government intervention, arguing that the soaring cost of essential goods has placed an unsustainable financial strain on households.
NPCC Working President C. Apok Jamir addressed the crowd, attributing the current economic distress to policy failures and ineffective governance at the federal level. He urged citizens to speak out against rising living costs and called for the administration to adopt corrective measures to provide relief.
Dimapur District Congress Committee President Kutoho Chishi emphasized that the struggle against high prices transcends party lines. He specifically highlighted state-level tax policies as a contributing factor, noting that Nagaland imposes a 16.94 percent Value Added Tax on petrol and a 12.83 percent tax on diesel. He appealed for both state and central leaders to reduce these levies to ease the burden on consumers.
Rajesh Kumar Sethi, a national coordinator for the AICC, challenged the government's rhetoric regarding global pricing. He asserted that fuel and LPG were more affordable during the tenure of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, even when crude oil prices were high. He dismissed arguments linking current costs to previous oil bonds, suggesting that those policies trace back to the era of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Research Cell Chairman Meshenlo Kath reiterated that the demonstration aimed to represent public interests rather than partisan agendas. He noted that the impact of these price hikes is being felt by all residents across the state, regardless of their political background.
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