All schools, colleges and universities in Odisha will remain closed on Monday due to the Congress’ six-hour shutdown against rising petrol and diesel prices. School and Public Education Minister SR Das said that technical institutes and industrial training centers will also be closed on 15 February.
He said, “The government has decided to keep all educational institutions closed on Monday in view of the safety of students during the bandh. There will also be no class due to Saraswati Puja on 16 February.”
The minister said that the government on Monday announced the closure of all institutions under the departments of higher education and skill development. Blaming both the Center and the Odisha government for the rising prices of petrol and diesel, state Congress chief Niranjan Patnaik had said that the bandh would be from 7 am to 1 pm.
The minister said that the government on Monday announced the closure of all institutions under the departments of higher education and skill development.
Blaming both the Center and the Odisha government for the rising prices of petrol and diesel, state Congress chief Niranjan Patnaik had said that the bandh would be from 7 am to 1 pm.
After the boom in global markets, local companies on Sunday made petrol expensive by 29 paise and diesel 32 paise per liter. With this, retail prices of fuel have reached a new record level by combining state level taxes.
Petrol has become expensive by Rs 1.80 and diesel by 1.88 rupees for six consecutive days.
Criticizing the increase in prices of petroleum products, the Congress and other opposition parties have demanded an immediate reduction in tax on them.
Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said in Parliament on Wednesday that there is currently no idea to reduce excise duty on petroleum products.
For the first time since the Covid crisis in the global market, the price of crude oil has gone up to $ 61 per barrel. India has to depend on 80 percent of its imports for petroleum fuel needs.
The central government is levying an excise duty of Rs 32.9 per liter on petrol and Rs 31.80 per liter on diesel.
