PANJIM: Aam Aadmi Party women’s wing on Wednesday held a demonstration in front of the old collectorate building, Margao and later submitted a memorandum to the Civil Supplies Department protesting the increase in LPG prices.
Matilda D’Silva, who was AAP’s Navelim candidate at the ZP elections lambasted Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant for increasing the prices of LPG from Rs 600 per cylinder to Rs 783 per cylinder which she said was very steep particularly in pandemic times.
“Our children have lost their jobs and instead of decreasing the prices to help people cope with the financial crisis the chief minister has increased the cylinder price by over Rs 150,” she said and accused the chief minister of being insensitive to the problems faced by women.
She lamented that the government has stopped the pension that was being paid to the elderly and instead has increased the electricity and water bills, which has increased the cost of living beyond the means of the ordinary middle class.
“While Congress had cheated Goans, the BJP which was brought to power to bring about a change is now taking Goans for a ride,” Maclean Coutinho alleged and asserted that ‘Goans will no longer be ‘susegad’ and instead will protest by all means against “ache din”’.
“The petrol prices have gone up again. Senior citizens’ dole has been stopped and we have had no help from the government and now it has actually raised the LPG prices, which is frustrating,” she said.
Geraldine Fernandes said, “The prices of even essential commodities like onion have gone up and the government is time and again bringing us on the streets to protest against their policies which are against the people.”
Patricia Fernandes said practically every second day they are forced to come out on the streets to protest against the anti-people policies of the BJP.
Matilda Dias pointed out that while the government had increased the petrol prices a few days ago the increase in LPG prices has come as yet another blow.
