The Union government has affected steep hike in petroleum prices. Petrol is dearer by Rs five, diesel by Rs three per litre and LPG cylinder would not cost Rs 50 more. Prime Minister Manmohan says that price hike had become a crying need in view of heavy losses to oil companies. But the masses think differently. They say that even if price hike was so imperative, it should not have been so steep. The central government should have hiked petrol price by Rs two and diesel price by Re 1 while Rs 20 should have been added to the existing cost of LPG cylinder. They said that the UPA government would pave way for galloping inflation and skyrocketing of prices of essential commodities. SMS News and Features interacted with people from cross sections of society and most of them termed the hike as too harsh. Now the common man would have to toil harder to make both the ends meet. The hike has been affected at a time when oil prices were falling at the international level. The Congress-led Union government and Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh seem more interested in cushioning the losses of oil companies rather than the welfare of Indian masses. If the hike is not rolled back soon, Congress would have to suffer heavily at the hustings, feel people as well as political leaders. Most of the people have termed the unprecedented hike in the prices of diesel, petrol and cooking gas as a body blow to the people. According to them, this would not only make the life of the poor and resource-less people next to impossible, but would also lead to hardship for the middle class and other sections of people. The Prime Minister has said that the hike would cover only ten percent of the loss of Rs. two lakh crore and 90 percent would still remain uncovered. This creates a doubt that the people should be ready for another price rise in near future. It may be noted that economic progress is meaningful only when common people benefit from it. The present cannot be sacrificed in the name of future as has been done by the heavy hike in prices of petroleum products. The price hike has evoked agitation from opposition parties. BJP protested the petrol, diesel, LPG price hike in a unique way in Madhya Pradesh. On Thursday morning, senior party leader Venkaiah Naidu was seen on a bullock cart around Indore, while chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his cabinet decided to go to work on bicycles in the afternoon. Chouhan rode his cycle a good 2.5 km from his official residence to the state secretariat via the Raj Bhavan with his entourage. Sources said at around 2 pm, Chouhan contacted his cabinet and asked all ministers in Bhopal to reach his official residence - 6 Shamla Hills - in half-an-hour. After a brief practice session, they rode to the secretariat. It may be noted here that though Rs 5 per litre increase on petrol and Rs 3 per litre increase on diesel has been affected but after commuting sales and other local taxes their actual price comes to around Rs seven and Rs five more than the earlier prices. Under such circumstances, it would be wiser on the part of the Union government to rollback or slash the hike in the better interests of people and for its own longevity. Muslim Saleem