Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar at a press conference at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee office in Bengaluru on Tuesday (March 31). | Photo credit: ALLEN EGENUSE J.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday (March 31) slammed the Center over the rising prices of fuel, cement, iron and other essential commodities in recent months, attributing it to wrong policies of the Union government.
“Due to wrong decisions and policies of the Centre, people across the country are suffering due to price hike. It is not just LPG cylinder prices, toll charges and railway fares have also gone up,” he said.
Cement prices
He said cement prices rose by ₹50 to ₹100 per bag, while iron ore prices rose from ₹47,000 to ₹59,000 per tonne. “How can common people build houses under these circumstances? This is also affecting government construction projects,” said Shivakumar.
“Elections are going on in five states. Hotels are closing and people are forced to use electric stoves. In the last 15 days, electricity consumption in the state has increased by 10%. The Union government has given the people a ‘firewood blessing’, but where will the firewood come from?” he asked.
Fuel and LPG prices have soared and supply shortages are cascading as a result of the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
About warranty systems
Meanwhile, the BJP is criticizing the state government for raising the prices of essential services like milk and public transport to mobilize resources for its guarantee schemes.
Responding to the criticism, Mr. Shivakumar said, “The Union government is waging a price war against the common people. To strengthen their financial position, our government has introduced five guarantee schemes which now provide financial protection.”
Published – 31 March 2026 19:44 IST
