PM gave no assurance on petro price rollback: TMC

Unhappy over the latest hike in petrol prices, Trinamool Congress MPs met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday to register their protest with a warning that any other such increase would make the party consider its future ties with the UPA government.

The delegation of the party, which is the second largest constituent of the UPA after Congress with 18 MPs, indicated that it got no assurance from the prime minister on the demands for rollback of Rs 1.8 hike in petrol price announced last week.

"We expressed our sentiments to the Prime Minister and gave him a copy of the resolution adopted at the Parliamentary Party meeting held in Kolkata," said Union Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay after the 45-minute meeting with Singh.

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He said the delegation had categorically told the prime minister that Trinamool was opposed to any decision that would lead to another rise in the prices of diesel, LPG and kerosene, as has been reported in the media.

Singh said he was not aware of any such decision, Bandyopadhyay told reporters.

"Trinamool Congress will not digest easily whenever there is another rise in prices of petrol, diesel and LPG," Bandyopadhyay said.

Asked whether the prime minister gave any assurance on rollback of the latest petrol price hike, Bandyopadhyay replied in the negative.

During the meeting, Singh shared the economic condition of the country with the delegation, the Trinamool MP said.

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The delegation also complained to the prime minister about "huge lack" of coordination between Congress and its coalition partners.

"We also told him that there is a huge lack of coordination between coalition partners in the UPA-II. There are opportunities to interact with the prime minister during Cabinet meetings but there is lack of coordination among allies of the UPA-II," the minister of state for health said.

The prime minister "agreed" that it will be improved, Bandyopadhyay said.

He said the deliberations with the prime minister would be conveyed to Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee.