Petro price hike: Left to launch offensive

Left parties would launch an offensive in the forthcoming monsoon session of Parliament against the United Progressive Alliance government hiking prices of petroleum products, Communist Party of India-Marxist member of the Parliament Basudeb Acharya has said.

"The de-regulation of petroleum products is an attack on the common people and will benefit the corporate class at the cost of about 80 per cent commoners," he told the media in Agartala on Wednesday.

Demanding roll back of petroleum prices, Acharya said it was hiked when the country was facing inflation of about 17 per cent.

Acharya, who is chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture led an 18 member parliamentary team to Tripura to ascertain problems in agriculture in the state and spoke to government officials and farmers.

He said he would propose to the central government to supply urea and other fertilizers in plenty to Tripura to meet demands of farmers.