Diesel cess on APSRTC bus tickets in A.P. draws flak

Opposition parties demand immediate rollback on the decision

The government’s decision to impose diesel cess on the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) bus tickets that resulted in increase in fares has drawn flak from the Opposition parties.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national president N. Chandrababu Naidu slammed the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government accusing it of thrusting additional burden on the common man by levying a diesel cess, besides imposing hikes in electricity tariff and collection of garbage and increasing property tax that had a cascading effect on the prices of essential commodities. He demanded that the diesel cess be rolled back immediately.

Mr. Naidu alleged that the State government had been frequently imposing taxes, subjecting the common man to hardships. “After the merger, the government should shoulder the responsibility of the RTC revenues instead of thrusting it on the people,” said Mr. Naidu.

BJP Andhra Pradesh unit president Somu Veerraju demanded immediate withdrawal of the diesel cess and took objection to raising the minimum fare charged for rural services to ₹10. “The increased fares will be counter-productive as they wean the passengers away from the RTC services. Instead of increasing fares, which imposes a heavy burden on the common people, the RTC management should explore other avenues to earn profits,” said Mr. Veerraju. He pointed out that the farmers who bring their produce to markets in ‘Palle Velugu’ buses have to bear the brunt of the fare hike.

Leaders of the Left Parties also came down heavily on the government, accusing it of ‘compounding the woes of the common man’.

CPI State secretary K. Ramakrishna said people belonging to the lower strata of society depend on APSRTC buses for their transportation needs. This hike would prove to be back-breaking for them, he said, demanding that the government must give another thought to the issue.

Communist Party of India (M) State secretary V. Srinivasa Rao criticised the move saying that instead of fighting against the Centre for hike in diesel prices, the government was shifting the burden on the common man. He said the RTC should think of alternative modes of generating revenue and spare the vulnerable sections of this additional burden.