Petrol costing Rs 18 per litre in global market being sold over Rs. 70 per litre: Harsh Dev
Udhampur, March 16 (H.S): Despite a precipitous fall in the global prices of crude oil, the BJP govt at the centre had failed to effect any corresponding reduction in the prices of petrol and diesel thereby continuing with its policy of increased taxation on essential commodities as a measure of resource mobilization.
The decline in the global prices is being neutralized by increasing taxes and cess on petrol and diesel thereby creating nationwide resentment against the centre govt. The latest increase in excise duty by Rs. 3 per litre effected yesterday on petrol and diesel is unacceptable and amply demonstrates the disregard of the BJP govt towards the concerns of the middle classes and other economically marginalized sections of society.
“More importantly the increase in taxation, at a time when the people were facing worst economic distress due to Corona Virus pandemic, only revealed the insensitivity of the BJP govt,” said Harsh Dev Singh, JKNPP Chairman and former Minister. He was addressing a press conference in Jammu today.
Strongly condemning the ruling dispensation for huge taxation on petrol and diesel, Singh said that while crude oil cost in the global market was Rs. 17.79 per litre, the consumers are being charged over Rs. 70 litre for petrol and over Rs. 63 per litre for diesel. He said that such enhanced prices of fuel in India was the cumulative effect of huge taxation in the form of excise duty, road cess and VAT imposed by the BJP led govt at the centre together with huge margins of oil companies.
He said that the total taxation on petrol was Rs. 37.89 in Modi rule as against Rs. 9.48 per litre prior to 2014. While the Modi govt had replaced VAT by GST on all other items, it had deliberately kept petrol and diesel outside the purview of GST only to impose multiple taxation on these products and thereby continue to generate funds by taking benefit of fluctuating global prices of crude oil, said Singh.
The vegetables, the pulses, food grains and other items of day to day use had witnessed steep rise in their prices thus making the life of common man miserable. The rates of cooking gas were increased by Rs 145 per cylinder thereby making a mockery of free gas connections scheme launched by the centre.
