Vox popli: Hike in fuel prices and its impact on the masses

Every morning one wakes up to a plethora of news and the talk about the prices of petrol and diesel have become a routine discussion. Without any doubt, the prices have risen to their highest compared to the earlier years even when the price of crude oil, a major ingredient in the production of domestic fuels, is now significantly lower. While the constant and sustained price rise has definitely evoked a strong reaction and anger among the masses, people are also equally surprised over it as Brent crude oil which was trading at over $100 a barrel in 2013 has come down to $75, the domestic fuel prices continue to rise without any logic.

Kashmir Images reporter Aaqib Naik spoke to people about the issue.

 Excerpts:

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  Zahoor Ahmad Businessman

Hike in fuel price has obviously sent shock waves among the masses and business houses as well. Being a businessman I can tell you how severely it has affected our business by bringing us to a point where there is less profitability and more expenditure. The fruit business is badly hit as most of our customers are mainly outside the state and transportation charges are surging each passing day and that too unexpectedly.

Ghulam Nabi Naikoo Farmer

It is just idiotic to assume that people who aren’t directly associated with businesses that require transportation or any such means that consume fuel, aren’t affected! In fact every single person is affected by the rise in the fuel prices as the increase in petrol and diesel prices will increase the transportation cost and increase the price of goods which gradually affects all. Just a decade ago, the transportation cost was amazingly low than what it is now. It has increased manifold and it is the general masses that are affected Transport being a basic amenity of life now, one can hardly do anything and it is unfortunate that we have fuel prices which are higher than many other places in the world.

 Showkeen Ahmad Lone Civil service Aspirant

Hike in fuel price has direct and indirect impact on people and all major sectors like transportation, textiles etc which indirectly influences our lives as it’s a common man at last who has to bear the brunt because hike in fuel will not remain at fuel only but will increase price of food and other essential commodities of life. It is a chain reaction which once started affects all sectors. The ups and downs in fuel price creates pathetic situation for poor people who generally think that hike in fuel has no impact on them.

 Bashir Ahmad Lone Owner of Bandsaw Mill

Everyone is affected due to hike in fuel price whether it is a laborer, customer or owner. My business suffers much as I have already made an agreement with my customers and rates have been already fixed for goods that we produce in our machine but the sudden hike in fuel i.e. diesel, I have to bear the losses, which I can partially compensate by increasing the price of goods- that indirectly affects customers. We have to pay the price for the mismanagement and poor planning of the government.

 Yawar Ahmad Driver

We hardly manage to earn what we spend on fuel and given the unprecedented rise in the fuel prices, most drivers are thinking of changing their professions. It is useless to work all day and to earn only as much as we pay to the fuel stations. It’s commonly understood that hike in fuel will automatically mean hike in fare but tha inst true as fare cannot be changed each day the way fuel is

Aasif Mohiuddin Govt Teacher

Hike in fuel prices is lack of accountability on part of Government as when revenue receipts exceed revenue expenditure Govt. initiates the hike policy. Hike in fuel prices hikes not only transportation costs but compels the lower and middle class families to sacrifice their basic amenities in order to curb the challenge as they have to meet the new prices for their food shelter clothing etc. For a common man the resources are fixed compared to Govt employees as Govt raises their incentives. What about those, the department of economic affairs recently stated,  more than 20 million people who freshly joined BPL list?

  Mohd Amin Itoo Farmer

It is the common masses who have to bear the losses for the extravaganza of the government which lends thousands of crores to fraudsters while keeping the lower classes and middle classes under tremendous financial stress. Whether it’s up or down in fuel prices the rates of goods keeps increasing and remains as such. When there is hike in fuel there is increase in transport fares but when the price of fuel decreases the fares remain same.

  Abdul Salaam Shopkeeper

When there is increase in fuel price we have to compensate it by increasing the price of goods because we have to pay double charges for transportation which indirectly comes from a common man’s pocket. Price hike affects only low wage or fixed salary families as compared to those who drive lac’s of money from their profession and for them the ups and down in price hike is a ‘non issue’.

 Sabzar Ahmad Sheikh Student

Hike in fuel price has left us hopeless as government has left no option for us other than to leave our private vehicles and travel via public transport which is again looting us If the government has implemented GST on everything then why not on fuel? Is it because they know they won’t make many out of it as they have tested the nerve of common man and are attacking masses continuously in one or the other way and we don’t understand the reason behind increasing the fuel price as in other countries which are underdeveloped and are even behind India, economically, have minimum rates on fuel.

 

Aaqib Naik