PANAJI: The state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party, in the backdrop of the July 5 nationwide bandh call given by the party against the rise in the prices of the petroleum products, will hold two related public awareness meetings addressed by its senior national leader, Mr Gopinath Munde on July 1, at Sirsat hall, Mapusa at 4.30 p.m and at Vishwa Hindu Parishad hall, Khadapabandh, Ponda, at 6 p.m.

Addressing a press conference, the leader of the opposition, Mr Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday said that the party workers have been geared up to participate in the state bandh, which will be a part of the nationwide bandh.

"We are also going to request other non-Congress parties, including state unit of the Nationalist Congress Party, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and United Goans Democratic Party to support us in this bandh," he added. The state BJP president, Mr Laxmikant Parsekar was also present on the occasion.

Stating that the biggest failure of the United Progressive Alliance government, in its second term in the office is the failure to achieve price control, Mr Parrikar said that when the price per barrel of the crude oil was 140 dollars in the international market, the per litre price of petrol in India was 49-odd rupees.

"However, even though the present price per barrel of the crude oil is between 70 and 75 dollars in the international market, the per litre rate of petrol has reached Rs 53, which should have actually been Rs 17," he noted, questioning the reason behind skyrocketing of the price of petrol and other petroleum products.

"The BJP is not against decontrolling of the petroleum products, but the government should not misinterpret the decontrol as a way for unlimited taxation," he maintained, pointing out that the cumulative impact of the price rise of petroleum products would come to light only after two weeks.

"The prices of vegetables themselves would go up by 50 paise to Rs 2," he predicted.

Suggesting that the state government should reduce local taxes on petroleum products as well as VAT on them, the leader of the opposition said that if this is done, the prices of petrol in the state could come down to Rs 50 per litre. "But the state government does not have a will to do it," he observed.

Mr Parrikar finally appealed to all the Goans, including housewives to voluntarily participate in the July 5 bandh and display their displeasure at the decision of the central government.

Replying to a question he said that as the national convenor of the BJP’s Governance Cell, he would soon recommend to all states ruled by the BJP governments to reduce the state taxes on the petroleum products.