TNN

New Delhi, Dec 20: The brief adjournment of Lok Sabha on Friday afternoon, forced by Samajwadi Party MPs, was not in itself unexceptional but their demand -- that government cut fuel prices in keeping with a global low in crude rates -- struck a chord with the entire House across the aisles.

The SP MPs wanted foreign minister and leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee, who pointedly busied himself with some papers, to respond. While Mukherjee wore a bemused look, the SP MPs, with the obvious support of other sections of the House, clamoured that the government make a statement.

The House met again soon after, but it is clear that political pressure is beginning to mount on the government to go in for another fuel price cut with the international price of crude down. Congress MPs said the demand for lower fuel prices was reasonable and would provide direct relief to a large section of consumers from urbanites to farmers.

Asked whether the demand for a fuel cut could gather steam as polls approached, Congress MPs said they did not feel the government should wait much longer. "We would like a reduction right away. A drop in price of diesel will help bring down transport costs and the price of vegetables. It will help farmers who run pump sets," said an MP.

The government had this month reduced prices of petrol and diesel by Rs 5 and Rs 2 respectively. Earlier, it had hiked petrol and diesel prices by Rs 5 and Rs 3. With crude prices likely to remain low despite OPEC deciding to cut production, the clamour for more price cuts is expected to increase sharply. The oil companies are glad that they are being able to recover their losses, but the political imperatives are likely to prevail.

Oil minister Murli Deora is already being told by MPs that it was time to be a little more "generous" and that he should reduce the price of LPG by Rs 100 as well. This is being seen as a surefire winner with voters as Congress gears for elections. Deora has usually kept quiet when faced with such banter, which is likely to get more serious with the overall economic situation remaining stressed.

Going by the government's own exhortation to departments and state governments to spend more to quicken the economy, a reduction of fuel rates will be seen as another step in the same direction. On the fiscal front, former finance minister P Chidambaram, who has been fielding questions on behalf of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, has repeatedly told Parliament that in 2008-09, fiscal deficit will not be treated as sacrosanct.