The increase effected by the Union Government in the prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas on Wednesday came as a shock for the residents of Chandigarh and Panchkula and many of them rushed to the nearby petrol pumps to fill the tanks of their vehicles at the old rates as the new prices would be effective from midnight. Several prominent petrol pumps, especially the CITCO service station in Sector IX, saw serpentine queues. However, some pumps put up "Not Available' signboards and when customers quarrelled with the staff, they were curtly told that the supplies had run out. However, in Panchkula, the situation was better and there was the normal rush at petrol stations. Housewives who had booked their cooking gas cylinders several days ago but had not received the refills criticised the oil companies for creating an "artificial shortage' to take benefit of the hike of Rs.50 per cylinder. One agitated woman advocate said that now that the prices had been increased, the oil companies would obviously resume the supplies from Thursday. Meanwhile, the president of the local unit of the Janata Party, Ajay Bagga, condemned the hike in the prices of petrol, diesel and gas and demanded an immediate rollback. In a statement, he charged that the present Congress-led UPA Government was completely clueless about containing inflation and rather its policies were fuelling the inflation. He further demanded that the Union Finance Minister resign as he was "directionless'. The steep increase in fuel prices had imposed an "unjustified burden' on the common man and was totally anti- people. It would aggravate the inflationary situation at a time when they were suffering from the steep rise in the prices of essential commodities, he added. The Indian National Lok Dal has also condemned the steep increase. In a statement here on Wednesday, INLD president and former Chief Minister Om Parkash Chautala demanded that the Government immediately roll back the hike as the common man who was already reeling under the severe burden of spiralling prices would be totally ruined by this hike. He warned that the INLD would launch a State-wide campaign in Haryana from Thursday "against the petro-hike, inflation and all- round failure of Congress Government at the Centre'. PTI adds: Ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP combine in Punjab criticised the Government decision, saying the move would hit the common man hard. Reacting to the hike Punjab Chief Minister and SAD leader Parkash Singh Badal said: "It has become difficult for poor families to survive and with this step the middle class too will be hit by increasing inflation.' Mr. Badal said the party would launch an agitation in the State against it. The form of the protest will be finalised soon, he told reporters here.