Govt imposing more burden on people: CPI(M) on hike in milk prices, highway toll

New Delhi: The CPI(M) on Monday condemned the hike in milk prices and highway toll, saying the government was waiting until elections to impose "further burden" on the people. 

In a statement, the CPI(M) Politburo said the hike in highway toll will lead to increase in price of all commodities.  "The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) condemns the hikes in the prices of all variants of milk by Rs 2 per litre by Mother Dairy and Amul. It is clear that the government was waiting until the elections were over to impose further burden on people," they said.

"Earlier, immediately after polling was completed, the road toll tax was hiked by 5 per cent across the board. This will increase the prices of all commodities, particularly food items that are transported by road, apart from increasing people's travelling costs," they said.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said the Narendra Modi-led government, anticipating its return, is back to "looting people".

"As elections ended Modi govt anticipating return, is back to its basics: looting people of India. Milk prices have been hiked by Rs 2/ltr by Amul and Mother Dairy. Road toll tax has been hiked by 5 percent across the board which will increase the prices of all commodities transported by road apart from hiking transport fares," he said on X. Mother Dairy on Monday announced Rs 2 per litre hike in milk prices in the Delhi-NCR market due to a rise in input cost over the last 15 months.

The increase in prices of all variants of milk is effective from Monday in Delhi-NCR as well as other markets where it has a presence.

Motorists using expressways have to shell out more from Monday as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to hike tolls across the country by an average of 5 per cent.

The annual revision of highway user fee, which is expected to be in the range of average 5 per cent, was earlier to come into effect on April 1. But the hike was deferred due to the Lok Sabha elections.