Jaiapal Reddy, the Oil Minister, appears to be the “Man Friday” for the Congress High Command. When he was Minister of Urban Development, the Commonwealth Games Scam shook the nation.

Through the latest exorbitant hike of petrol price, once again he is up to his tricks playing the political script dictated by the Congress High Command to fool the nation. Look at his high handed arrogance of the Minister justifying the latest hike.

The usual fraud is blaming the fall of the rupee value and the hike in international oil prices justifying the latest hike in petrol price. Stop bluffing the nation in connivance with the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister, who are deemed to be most honorable personalities.

As per the latest statistics available in the ‘Google”, the crude oil prices data is simple: weeks range varies between $.90.32 to 91.32; 52 week range is $ 75.92 to 109.95; and the forecast is $ 104/-

Converted into rupee value @ Rs. 56/- per dollar, the international crude oil price for a barrel of 200 litres is (56 x $ 92 = Rs.5152/-). Adding the refining and transportation costs, the price of petrol cost by any stretch of imagination cannot cross Rs.36/- per litre as admitted by Pranab dada.

Taxes on account of excise duty and others form the rest of price per litre of petrol - a whopping Rs.40 to 48/ per liter depending on local taxes by States. Ipso facto, states like Andhra Pradesh treat hike in petrol prices as revenue bonanza to fill their coffers. Although Congress Government is in power, they did not provide relief when there was a hike in petrol price last time.

It is just simply robbing the middle class and the “Am Admi” to pay for the financial profligacy or extravaganza of the government. Let none of the middle class have any reservations on the above score.

Yet another significant issue is that hike in petrol prices also adversely affects even the marginal poor like artisans and labour who use scooters to go to their places of work. Finally, it also rises food prices, whether one like it or not.

The Congress High Command has mastered the science of hoodwinking the common man. First, they allow the Oil Companies to hike the prices. Next, the Government pleads ignorance and distances itself from the decision to hike petrol price. Follows the Congress Party rising the demand for “roll back’ of prices to take the credit for partial roll back.

People should the farcical posturing of Jayapal Reddy, the Minister, in its true perspective. How can the Minister feign ignorance of a price hike by oil companies and justify such a move by them in the name of de-regulation. Conveniently, he goes away on foreign tour and reverts back after the announcement. Give another joke to the people Mr. Minister of Oil.

None is ever also questioning the Oil Companies for their internal extravagance. People need to hold them also accountable. On one hand, they announce profits; and on the other hand they declare that they are at a loss.

Viewed in a holistic context, it is quite bizzaire. Knowing full well the economic challenges, yet the President, the Prime Minister and other respected and most honourable members of government machinery go around merrily in fleets of vehicles guzzling down oils imported at a high cost to exchequer as if nothing has happened to the common man.

As per experts, dramatic fluctuations are inevitable in oil prices during 2011-12 varying between US $90-120 per barrel due to a variety of reasons. If so, it is in realm of possibility for oil companies to hike the price of petrol to even beyond Rs.100/- per litre sooner than later.

Ipso facto, when the peak international price of crude oil in 2008 was US $ 148 per barrel with rupee value at Rs.42-45/- per US $, yet oil prices remained at almost half the current levels when the international crude oil price is well below US $ 100 per barrel now.

Unless people overcome their monotonous insensitivity to the issue of ‘extravaganza of governance or economic overstretch’, it is not possible to arrest the repetitive oil price hikes. The vicious ‘economic overstretch’ spun around the Indian society in the name of providing ‘good governance’ by the few appears intractable. Unless it is rolled back, there is no escape from spiraling oil prices.

More disturbingly, tax the people to sustain the plundering of the PSUs and their phenomenal incompetence bred over the years by subservience and sycophancy. None is interested in implementing austerity.

In retrospect, “Robbing many Peters to pay few Paul’s” is most appropriate. Few Paul’s enjoy astronomical pays, perks and privileges, tax holidays and exemptions when compared to around US two dollar wage per day under the NREG scheme launched with great fanfare to fool people.