BJD calls Orissa bandh on July 5

Ruling BJD along with six other non-BJP and non-Congress parties has called a Orissa bandh on July 5 opposing the UPA government's decision to hike fuel prices and decontrol petrol and diesel rates.

The six parties who have gone along with BJD to call the bandh are CPI, CPI(M), Forward Bloc, RJD, Samajwadi Party and JMM.

In a joint statement, the leaders of the six parties said the UPA-II government at the Centre had hiked fuel prices thrice during the past six months thereby causing prices of all essential commodities to rise.

While the food inflation remained above 17 per cent, the hike in kerosene price had come as a major blow to the poor and labour sections who were already hit by inflation, the statement said.

"UPA government's decision to decontrol petrol and diesel will help the oil companies," state CPI general secretary Dibakar Nayak said.

Strongly opposing the fuel price hike, Chief Minister and BJD President Naveen Patnaik said it would compound the plight of the poor people.