New Delhi, May 24 -- Amid concerns over fuel shortages and growing distress among farmers, Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday urged the Centre to procure cheaper oil and gas from Russia and Iran to provide relief from rising petrol, diesel and cooking gas prices.
Referring to reports from Gujarat, Kejriwal said farmers were facing severe difficulties in obtaining diesel, with long queues of tractors seen outside petrol pumps. He warned that a shortage of diesel would directly impact farming operations and worsen the challenges already confronting the agricultural sector.
Speaking to the media, the AAP leader said he had seen reports on social media showing farmers waiting for hours for diesel supplies. "If farmers do not get diesel, how will they carry out farming?" he asked.
Kejriwal said that while fuel prices in the country had increased sharply, Russia and Iran were willing to supply oil and gas at cheaper rates. He questioned why the Government of India was not purchasing fuel from the two countries despite the possibility of reducing costs.
Appealing to the Centre to act quickly, Kejriwal urged the government to buy cheaper oil and gas so that people could get relief from fuel shortages and inflation.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.