Cong to protest toll hike on Tuesday

With Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) taking its fight against the Congress-led government on increase of petrol price hike to streets, the Delhi state Congress party decided to corner the BJP on issue of increase in toll tax for commercial vehicles.

With Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) taking its fight against the Congress-led government on increase of petrol price hike to streets, the Delhi state Congress party decided to corner the BJP on issue of increase in toll tax for commercial vehicles.

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The Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) has organised dharna and protest march in various parts of the city on Tuesday to protest the toll tax hike by the BJP-ruled Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

DPCC president Jai Prakash Agarwal said the decision to increase toll tax on vehicles would hurt the ordinary man.

"The prices of essential commodities such as foodgrains, pulses, milk, fruit and vegetable would go up. All these things are brought from various neighbouring states. If the transporters pay more as toll tax, the burden would be passed on to consumers. The residents of Delhi would be saddled with the burden of another steep price hike," Agarwal said.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) revised the toll tax rates for all types of commercial vehicles entering Delhi which became applicable from Monday morning. The corporation has increased tax by 15% to 25% on various kinds of commercial vehicles.

Senior MCD officials said the revised tax rates would earn the Corporation R312 crore in 2011-2012, as compared with the

Rs 192 crore earned in 2010-2011.

While the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance is struggling to justify the petrol price hike to ordinary people, Agarwal said the BJP in the MCD was taking anti-people decisions.