Jatri Kalyan Samity urges govt to withdraw increased fuel prices

In a statement sent to the media on Monday, the association said global fuel prices are currently on a downward trend, yet the government raised domestic fuel prices at midnight, deepening an already volatile economic situation marked by rising commodity prices, mounting inflation, and growing unemployment caused by factory closures linked to the energy crisis.

The association said that instead of standing by people amid this crisis, the government within seven months of taking office, has raised fuel prices twice, a move it termed "anti-people,"

It would trigger further hikes in transport fares, freight costs, and prices of goods, along with rising costs in industrial production, it said.

It urged the government to urgently reverse the decision and restore the previous fuel prices.

The statement further said it is a reality that governments sometimes operate commercial ventures and, at other times, provide subsidies in the public interest.

Amid the country's severe financial crisis, it said, the government has a responsibility to keep the economy running and rein in inflation by offering subsidies in the energy sector, thereby standing beside the country's struggling population, reports UNB.