Siddaramaiah asks Bommai to follow TN, cut prices of both petrol and diesel

Bengaluru: After neighbouring Tamil Nadu government’s decided to cut tax on petrol by Rs 3 per litre, Leader of Opposition in  assembly Siddaramaiah urged Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to cut the price of both petrol and diesel in the state.

Taking to Twitter Siddaramaaih wrote, “Tamil Nadu has cut the petrol price by Rs 3 helping lakhs of common man. I urge CM of Karnataka Shri Basavaraj Bommai to follow the same and cut the price of both Petrol and Diesel in Karnataka.”

Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, presenting his maiden budget to the Assembly on Friday said the government has decided to cut tax on petrol by Rs three per litre.

Earlier in the day, Siddaramaiah had asked Bommai to clarify his government’s stand with respect to the Mekedatu project, accusing the BJP of speaking on contradicting lines.

‘Tamil Nadu BJP is opposing Mekedatu and C T Ravi (Karnataka BJP MLA and party’s national General Secretary incharge of Tamil Nadu) is supporting them. Why this contradiction?’ the Congress leader asked in a tweet.

Further stating that Congress will never compromise or politicize on land, water and language issues, Siddaramaiah said, ‘We are firm on our decision irrespective of whether we are in power or not. The CM of Karnataka should take opposition parties into confidence and ask his party members to support Karnataka.’ Mekedatu is a multipurpose (drinking and power) project, which involves building a balancing reservoir, near Kanakapura in Ramanagara district. Tamil Nadu is against the project and is of the opinion that it is against its interest.

The project once completed is aimed at ensuring drinking water to Bengaluru and neighbouring areas (4.75 TMC) and also can generate 400 MW power, and the estimated cost of the project is Rs 9,000 crore.