Bhubaneswar, May 15 (IANS) Amid long queues at petrol pumps across the state, the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Friday launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party-led double-engine governments at the Centre and in the state, alleging that the government has pushed common people to wait in long queues to refuel their vehicles.​

Addressing a press conference here, the regional party leaders alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party’s “double-engine government”, known as a “queue government”, has once again forced common people to stand in long queues for hours to refuel, similar to the scenes witnessed outside banks during demonetisation.​

Holding the state Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare department responsible for the alleged fuel crisis in the state, the Biju Janata Dal leaders alleged that the undeclared disaster created in the state is the result of the Bharatiya Janata Party government’s directionless and short-sighted governance.​

Biju Janata Dal Vice-President Sanjay Kumar Das Burma said that when common people were forced to stand in queues on the roads due to the fuel crisis, the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister falsely claimed there was no problem and that sufficient fuel stocks were available.​

However, the ground reality is entirely different.​

“The whole of Odisha is suffering from fuel distress, but instead of solving the problem, the state government is indulging in false propaganda. Rather than focusing on resolving the issue, the government is busy holding repeated high-level meetings in the Secretariat on how to celebrate its second anniversary,” alleged Das Burma.​

He further added that the Rs 3 per litre hike in fuel prices announced on Friday is adding to the financial burden on people, like an added insult to injury.​

Das Burma stated that while the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare department’s Secretary says that fuel stocks are available in abundance, the Supplies Minister says that fuel stocks are available for only 13 days, clearly showing that there is no coordination between the Minister and the Secretary.​

The Biju Janata Dal spokesperson, Lenin Mohanty, stated that when in opposition, the Bharatiya Janata Party had earlier demanded a reduction in Value Added Tax and inclusion of petrol and diesel under the Goods and Services Tax, but it failed to implement those promises after coming to power, exposing its double standards.​

Mohanty also alleged that despite lower global crude oil prices in the past, fuel rates were not reduced, while the recent Rs 3 hike was aimed at protecting oil company profits.​

Meanwhile, the opposition Congress also targeted the state and Union governments over the fuel crisis and the Rs 3 per litre rise in petrol and diesel prices.

–IANS

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