1st shock: Petrol to cost Rs. 10 more and LPG would cost Rs. 114 more

The petroleum ministry on Wednesday made out a strong case for increasing the fuel prices by up to Rs 10.43 a litre in petrol and Rs 114.45 per cylinder of cooking gas to save oil companies from a massive financial loss with the Left parties opposing the move.

They instead suggested cut in duties and CNG pricing policy to mitigate the surging international oil prices.

In a presentation to Left leaders including Sitaram Yechury of CPM and Gurudas Dasgupta, the oil ministry said prices of petrol need to raised by Rs 9.33 per litre, diesel by Rs 10.43 per litre, kerosene by Rs 17.16 per litre and LPG by Rs 114.45 per cylinder if prices are to be brought in parity with imported costs.

The oil ministry said without the price hike, oil companies would suffer a revenue loss of Rs 73,512 crore (Rs 735.12 billion) in 2006-07 fiscal.

It gives me shock, when I hear the word “hike” in petrol prices, even if it is Re. 1…currently we pay bloody Rs. 49 for the petrol (Rs. 49.17) and to make it worse, they want to make it almost Rs. 60, it was time when we used to discuss about petrol pricing in airplanes (I guess it’s called as white petrol), we used to say “Rs. 60, so costly white petrol is” and now we will say “So costly, our normal petrol is, let’s switch back to rickshaws”

Good Reads: Check petrol prices around the world (Pakistan Rs. 38.39, Malaysia Rs. 18.90 and USA Rs. 29.43) and article on Rediff

2nd Shock: 50 pc reservation in pvt institutions

The Maharashtra government today decided to reserve 50 per cent seats for scheduled caste, scheduled tribes and OBCs in vocational courses in private educational institutions of the state.

An ordinance to this effect will be issued soon and the reservation would come into effect from the coming academic year, Public Works Minister Chhagan Bhujbal told reporters in Mumbai after a cabinet meeting which took the decision.

The state government has acted according to a directive of the Supreme Court, following which the central government had made a legislation, Bhujbal said.

According to the decision taken by the cabinet today, 13 per cent seats would be reserved for scheduled caste, seven per cent for scheduled tribes and 30 per cent for other backward classes (OBCs), he added.

First it was about Quota System in IIT/IIM and now they want quotas in private institutions too. The time has come to say “Hey, good news, now we have 50% reservations for open castes

It’s all a big mess and we really need to do something about it…these kind of moves are making me think that “Why should we vote for them, all these parties are bunch of fools”

Good Reads: Article on Mid-Day