Following the hike in sales tax, the city residents will have to shell out Rs 1.08 and 42 paise more on the purchase of petrol and diesel, respectively. The petrol which costs Rs 22.63 a litre, will now be available at Rs 23.71 and diesel, which was available for Rs 9.80 per litre, will now be available for Rs 10.22 a litre.

Rohit Kapoor, a businessman, while talking to Chandigarh Newsline said,"The UT Administration cannot have any justification for the hike in sales tax. In a way, the administration has obliged the neighbouring states by hiking its own prices. And the sufferers will be the residents of the city, the traders and the common man."

Gurjit Singh, a government employee, said,"The rates of both petrol and diesel are already high. This further unexpected hike will only lead to a bigger hole in the pocket of the common man."

A cross section of the society also felt that the hike will have an impact on the rates of other items as well. Bimla Sood, a housewife, said," One thing that is seen is the sudden increase in the prices of consumer items, vegetables and other products due to an increase in transportation cost. So, now the common man will have to deal with inflation at different fronts. First, it will lead to the shelling out more money for petrol and upsetting the family budget and then, an increase in the prices of other products - making the hole in their pockets still larger."

Raviprakash Kansal criticised the decision of UT administration. He said," This decision is wholly unwarranted, arbitrary and undemocratic. All the ruling alliance partners should be taken into confidence before taking such an important decision." CTCC (I) also condemned the rise in prices saying that the residents wil have to bear an extra cost of petrol diesel by paying at least one rupee per litre.