New Delhi: Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan today said he accepts that the rising prices of petrol and diesel are creating problems for consumers. He, however, said that it can’t be brought down because the government is saving money for welfare schemes.
“I accept that current fuel prices are problematic for people but be it central/state government, over Rs 35,000 crore have been being spent on vaccines in a year. In such dire times, we’re saving money to spend on welfare schemes,” Pradhan was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Pradhan further said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved Rs 1 lakh crore under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana scheme to give free foodgrain to the poor for eight months. Under PM-Kisan, thousands of crores have been directly deposited in the bank accounts of our farmers. The MSP was hiked recently. And all this is happening in the current year.”
The fuel prices have seen a steep hike in the last few days, with petrol breaching the Rs 100-mark in several cities of India.
