Government needs revenue but no intention to hurt common man: Athawale

Amid opposition criticism of the rise in prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Tuesday said the central government requires money to meet its commitments but the intention is not to cause pain to people.

He said the government proposes to spend over Rs 34 lakh crore in 2021-22.

"The government should get something. Some taxes have to be raised, some have to be reduced. This happens in normal practice. The government has to receive some revenue and that is why the prices of some commodities have been raised. Some days later, these prices will be reduced but it is not the intention of the government to inflict pain on the common public," he said.

He was answering a query about the rise in price of petroleum products.

Athawale also said that he has urged Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and his father Shibu Soren to join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

"I have appealed to Shibu Soren and Hemant Soren, who are my good friends, that if they come in NDA, the government will be of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). They can be in power in Delhi as well," he said.

He said that JMM joining NDA will give a boost to development in state.

Athawale also pitched for caste-based census.

( With inputs from ANI )