Centre told to bring down fuel prices

Vijayawada: All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) general secretary Amarjit Kaur has said that agro-based industries will give big boost to Indian economy as more than 65 per cent population in India depends on agriculture.

She said the Indian government is blindly imitating the US economy and neglecting the agriculture sector, which she said is the backbone of our economy.

She said the US economy had failed and Indian government should not follow in the footsteps of the US. She felt more encouragement should be given to agriculture and agro-based industries.

Amarjit Kaur participated in a Meet-the-Press organised at the Press Club here on Monday and shared her opinions on various subjects related to economy, employment and price rise.

She pointed out that the BJP during the campaign ahead of general elections 2014 assured of creating of two crore jobs every year if voted to power but it has created only 1.5 lakh jobs in 2015-16.

Amarjit Kaur expressed concern over the growing unemployment in the country. She said 17 lakh workers lost jobs due to closure of 2.5 lakh small-scale industries in the country since BJP was voted to power about four years ago.

Though the Centre was framing policies like ‘Make-in-India’, it has failed to study the ground-level realty in the country. Referring to price rise, she said the Central government also failed to check the prices of essential commodities.

She said all trade unions in the country would meet in the capital very soon and chalk out action plan for a general strike protesting against the anti-people’s policies of the BJP-led NDA government.

She said the prices of commodities would come down if the petrol and diesel prices are reduced in the country. The crude oil prices came down from 147 dollars to 50 dollars a barrel in the international market but the Indian government is not slashing prices in the country. She demanded that the Centre must reduce the prices of fuel to check the price rise.

Scheme workers dharna in New Delhi on Jan 17: Amarjit Kaur said workers belonging to the midday meal scheme, Asha and Anganwadi workers would stage a dharna in New Delhi on January 17 protesting against the policies of the government.