Shimla: Himachal Congress has held the BJP Government of unfairly imposing a 25 percent bus fare hike on the pretext that the central government recently hiked prices of petroleum products.
Congress spokesman Kuldeep Rathore at a conference call said “the central government has only marginally hiked the prices of diesel and petrol but the Himachal government increasing bus fares by as much as 25 percent is totally unjustified.”
Pricing pressure was faced by the earlier congress government also but it was realized that public transport is the only means of transport for the common man and thus every effort was made to insulate him from increase public transport costs, he said.
The government instead of burdening the people with high fares should try and improve cost efficiencies of operating Himachal Road Transport Corp, said Rathore.
Government promoting liquor consumption: Rathore
Rathore took exception to the government excise police in which VAT taxation on liquor was reduced from 20 to 12.5 percent. He said that by lowering taxes not only was the government losing out on revenue collections but was apparently promoting liquor consummation by making it more affordable.
The congress spokesman said that lowering of VAT on liquor was straight away encouraging alcohol consumption in the state.
“The government appears to be intent in making Himachal a liquor state,†said Rathore.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads a team of media professionals at Hill Post.
Spanning a career of over two decades in mass communication, as a Documentary Filmmaker, TV journalist, Print Media journalist and with Online & Social Media, he brings with him a vast experience. He lives in Shimla.
