Diesel price hike 'inevitable' to meet subsidy bill: Mallikarjun Kharge

HUBLI: Union Labour Minister Mallikarjun Kharge today charged the opposition, including BJP, with spreading false propaganda against UPA government and said the hike in diesel prices and cap on LPG were "inevitable steps" to tackle rising subsidy bill and slowing economy.

In view of international financial crunch and recession in European countries posing a major threat to Indian economy, stern economic reforms were necessary to save the nation from recession, he told reporters here.

"Instead of supporting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the opposition, including BJP, is spreading a false propaganda against UPA. Hike in diesel prices and cap on LPG are inevitable steps to tackle rising subsidy bill and slowing economy," he said.

Instead of targetting UPA government, BJP governments in other states including Karnataka should focus their energies on giving good administration, which they have not done, Kharge claimed.

Besides, they did not utilise central funds to alleviate the problems of people, he alleged.

Kharge said Congress would bounce back to power in Karnataka in the next Assembly elections as the electorate would dump "scam-hit" BJP.

"People are fed up with state BJP for its misrule and internal bickerings, which has hit developmental works," he said.

Kharge said the Labour Ministry has sanctioned ESI hospitals in Nanjnagud, Bhairsandra, Doddaballapur and some other places, but the state government failed to provide land to these projects. "Only recently the present chief minister has given his consent to provide land after hard struggle," he said.