Centre attacked for not cutting petro fuel prices

NEW DELHI: The Manmohan Singh on Thursday assured the Lok Sabha that it would review domestic fuel prices in a week, after the Opposition cornered it over its refusal to reduce rates despite slump in the global crude market.

The fall in crude prices in the international markets fuelled the Opposition demand for passing its benefits on to the Indian consumers. What raised its ire was the `bailout package��� handed out to the airline industry by the government on Wednesday, while the common man continued to ���bear the brunt of inordinately high��� oil prices.

``The matter is being examined and an announcement would be made within a week,������ petroleum minister Murli Deora said during question hour in reply to a spate of supplementaries on the issue as Opposition members, and even ruling RJD, insisted that the fuel prices be brought down without any delay. Dissatisfied with the minister���s reply, the entire Opposition staged a walk-out.

The government���s stand on the demand was outlined earlier this week by finance minister P Chidambaram, who while replying to the discussion on the supplementary demands for grants proposed by his ministry, told the Lok Sabha that India���s administered prices of petrol, diesel, LPG and kerosene were based on Indian basket at $67 a barrel.

When price comes down to $67 a barrel, then the oil companies would be breaking even, Mr Chidambaram argued.
The government���s response, obviously, had failed to satisfy MPs. ``What is the policy of the government when global crude prices have declined considerably,������ asked former Union minister Braj Kishore Tripathy (BJD).

The Left members, always on the lookout for occasions to pillory the government, entered the ring then by launching a vitriolic attack. CPM leader Rupchand Pal, taking up cudgels on behalf of the Left, wanted to know whether the government, which had given a `bailout package��� to the aviation companies a day earlier, would similarly `bailout��� the common man, hit hard by the rising prices. His contention was endorsed by Mr Ram Kirpal Yadav.

Speaker plays different notes to match CPM attack

IN CPM���s line of fire, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee played several notes ��� emotional, angry, caustic ��� to get back at the Marxists in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, reports Our Political Bureau from New Delhi. The acrimony between Mr Chatterjee and his former party, a day after the Marxists attacked him for suspending A P Abdullakutty from the House for a day, became palpable in the sparring with senior CPM member Varkala Radhakrishnan.

When the MP said members did not get enough time to go through the 250-page companies bill and asked ���is this the way legislative business should be conducted by the government,��� the Speaker said he accepted the ���admonition��� of the member.

When Mr Radhakrishnan said he was not questioning the Speaker���s authority, Mr Chatterjee said, ���ask your leader and deputy leader.��� When the CPM MP asked if any human being could go through the bill in such a short time, Mr Chatterjee made another tongue-in-cheek remark saying ���super humans like you can.���

Mr Radhakrishnan said it was a very important legislation both in size and complexity and ���you will have to protect our rights and ensure that legislative business is properly conducted.��� Earlier, as the House met Mr Chatterjee began the day with a sentimental speech about his role as Speaker and even said at one point that this was the saddest period of his life.