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Our Correspondent
Kohima, Sep. 20 (EMN): The Nagaland Pradesh Mahila Congress Committee (NPMCC) on Monday submitted a memorandum to Governor Prof. Jagdish Mukhi at Raj Bhavan Kohima, in connection with the "unaffordable price hike" of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
Demanding a decrease in the price of cooking gas, NPMCC president N Lucy briefed the governor about the price of LPG shooting up from INR 410 for 14.50 kg cylinder in 2014 to INR 904 in September this year, across the state.
She termed the surge in LPG price as "rubbing salt to the wound" at a time when the poor are bearing the brunt of the Covid-19 pandemic.
While many families are unable to afford LPG at such an exorbitant rate, she said the widows and widowers are undergoing a harrowing situation.
"The economy of the public has dipped down to the bottom due to the pandemic and unfriendly economic policies of the state government thus making purchase of LPG unaffordable for households, especially for widows," read the memorandum.
It stated that the NPMCC had met with the governor to represent the voice of the people as consumers were at the receiving end of the inflated price of products.
The committee appealed to the governor to listen to the plight of the public. It also demanded the Centre and state governments to roll back LPG price to “2014 rate” in the interest of the citizens.
People have been told to use LPG instead of firewood to save trees but the surge in the price of gas cylinder has adversely affected both the rural and urban population, it asserted.
"A welfare government is expected to exercise the Essential Commodities Act with the given situation to fix the prices in the interests of common consumers without bias or ill will," read the memorandum.
Lucy said that the state government is "keeping quiet and not doing anything" for betterment of the consumers despite common people reeling under the prevailing situation. "The duty of a political party is to look after the welfare of the people," she added.
She went on to urge women in the state to raise their voice and that their rights could be manifested through vote, which is their "strength and power".