Chandigarh, June 8 -- Former Haryana Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Monday slammed the government over the recent increase in fertiliser and fuel prices, alleging that the move would further burden farmers already struggling with inflation.
Hooda said the government's decision to raise the prices of Urea and SSP by Rs 200 each, along with an increase of Rs 200 to Rs 550 in NPK fertilisers, would significantly raise cultivation costs. He added that the rising prices of agricultural machinery and spare parts were compounding farmers' difficulties.
"Farmers are already facing the impact of soaring inflation. The increase in fertilizer prices has added to their distress and threatens the agricultural sector," he said.
Targeting the BJP government, he alleged that despite its promise to double farmers' income, it had instead increased input costs. According to Hooda, the rise in Minimum Support Prices (MSP) has failed to keep pace with inflation, while farmers' debt burdens have continued to grow.
The Congress leader also criticised the recent hike in LPG prices, claiming that domestic cylinder rates have increased by Rs 89 in the past three months, while commercial cylinders have become costlier by over Rs 1,500.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.