Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab senior leader and Talwandi Sabo legislator Prof. Baljinder Kaur on Wednesday said the decision of Narendra Modi-led Centre government to increase the toll tax rates in Punjab and Haryana by 10 to 18 per cent showed the anti-people mentality of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
“The BJP government at the Centre, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is continuously proving to be anti-farmer and anti-labour. After the continuous increase in petrol and diesel prices, now on the orders of the Modi government, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to increase the rates of toll plazas of Punjab by 10 to 18 per cent. The new rates will be applicable from 1 April and will be levied at all toll plazas including Patiala and Sangrur,” Kaur said.
She said the people of Punjab are not happy with this decision of the Central government and are protesting against the increased rates. The farmers of the state have also announced to stage a state-level agitation against the central government because after increasing the prices of oil, the Modi government is further burdening the common people with increased toll rates.
The AAP leader said in 2014, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power by raising the issues of inflation and petrol and diesel prices in elections, but now the BJP government led by Narendra Modi has been constantly increasing the rates of petrol, diesel as well as toll tax without any second thought.
She said due to the increase in petrol and diesel prices, inflation is also out of control and affecting the poor and middle class of our country very badly. Kaur said due to the increase in transportation expenses, food items will also become more expensive and common people will be more financially burdened but the Modi government is again disregarding the problems of common people.