TMC submits protest memorandum to Governor

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, OCT. 16. The TMC president, Mr. G.K. Moopanar, today presented to the Governor, Ms. Fathima Beevi, a protest memorandum along with 40 lakh signatures obtained from the public, demanding withdrawal of the recent hike in prices of petroleum products.

Mr. Moopanar, who led a delegation of party functionaries to the Raj Bhavan and handed over the memorandum, told the media that the party's next course of protest would be decided depending on the Centre's response.

The memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister, Mr. A.B. Vajpayee, said that for the first time in the history of Independent India, the Central Government had hiked the fuel prices for the third time in a single year.

The poor man's fuel, kerosene, too had not been spared, and following the hike, kerosene was not available even in the open market at regulated prices and in most places, a litre of kerosene cost Rs. 20, it added. Referring to the Prime Minister's recent statement that the country should collectively bear the burden, the memorandum said the upper classes should be asked to make sacrifices and not the impoverished sections. Suggesting alternatives to overcome the oil pool deficit, the party said the Ministry should be downsized, government institutions run efficiently and unnecessary expenditure and non-productive schemes should be avoided.

The TMC would continue its signature campaign to get its targetted one crore signatures, the memorandum said.

The TMC delegation included vice-presidents, Ms. Jayanthi Natarajan and Mr. S.G. Vinayagamurthy, general secretary, Mr. Peter Alphonse, and former Union Minister, Mr. Danushkodi Adityan.

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