News Analysis India

Tag: Petrol price cut

  • Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren announces Rs 25/litre cash back on petrol for BPL families

    By Express News Service

    RANCHI: CM Hemant Soren has announced a cash back of Rs 25 per litre on petrol for BPL families, with one significant condition.

    Addressing a gathering during a programme organized to mark two years in office, Soren said that the beneficiaries (two-wheeler owners) will get Rs 25/litre back in their bank accounts for up to 10 liters of petrol every month.

    Soren informed that the scheme will be effective from January 26 next year.

    ALSO READ | Govt earned over Rs 8 lakh crore from taxes on petrol, diesel in last 3 fiscals: FM Nirmala Sitharaman

    “Poor and middle class families are the worst affected due to the increasing prices of petrol and diesel and they are not able move freely even though they have a two wheeler. They are not even able to sell their produce due to increased fuel prices. Therefore a decision has been taken to give cash back of Rs 25 on each liter of petrol to the BPL families,” said Soren.

    With an objective of making Jharkhand one of the preferred destinations for tourists, CM Soren also launched the ‘Jharkhand Tourism Policy 2021’.

    To mark the occasion, Soren in the presence of Governor Ramesh Bais and other dignitaries also laid the foundation stone for projects worth Rs 12558.50 crore, inaugurated schemes worth Rs 3195.30 crore and distributed assets worth Rs 1493.38 crore.

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  • Trinamool Congress, BJP spar over fuel tax

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: The TMC on Saturday alleged that the BJP was indulging in “cheap politics” over fuel tax, even as the saffron camp said that it “might be forced to organise protests,” if the state government does not slash Value Added Tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel.

    The Centre recently reduced excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 5 and Rs 10 respectively, and many states, including Odisha and Bihar, followed suit and cut VAT on the two products.

    West Bengal, however, hasn’t made any similar announcement followed by the state unit of BJP urging the Mamata Banerjee government to take a cue from the Centre and provide relief to people.

    TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, “The BJP is doing cheap politics over fuel prices as its inertia in stemming the skyrocketing prices of petrol, diesel and LPG has been exposed. It has slashed excise duty on petrol and diesel a bit, fine! But that is too little, too less.”

    Stating that the revenue realised from fuel tax by the Centre is far more than that of states, Ghosh further suggested that some parity should be maintained.

    BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh, on his part, contended that “we might be forced to go on protest,” if the Mamata Banerjee government did not reduce VAT on fuel.

    Sukanta Majumder, the Bengal president of the saffron camp, also demanded an immediate cut on the tax levied by the state on petrol and diesel.

    “Opposition-ruled states like West Bengal and Delhi among others are not doing their bit. Mind it, the Biplab Deb government in Tripura has substantially reduced VAT. The TMC has been levelling multiple allegations against the Tripura government, but it wouldn’t do its part in Bengal,” he added.

  • Bengal BJP asks TMC government to slash state tax on fuel

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: The West Bengal BJP on Thursday stated that the Mamata Banerjee government should reduce VAT on petrol and diesel, taking a cue from the Centre, if it was serious about being pro-people.

    The TMC, however, termed the Centre’s decision to slash excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 5 and Rs 10 per litre respectively a “mere eyewash”.

    Describing the Centre’s move as a “Diwali gift to the nation”, Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari, took to Twitter, and said, “Now the WB Govt should follow suit and slash state tax to further bring down the rates.”

    BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh tweeted that the TMC government, “which claims to be pro-people”, has its task cut out to reduce VAT imposed by it on petroleum products.

    The party’s state president, Sukanta Majumdar, also made a similar demand.

    Claiming that the slash in excise duty is “nothing but an eyewash”, TMC state general secretary and spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, nonetheless, pointed out that the meagre reduction was announced after the rates hit the roof.

    “They should bring down the main price component,” he tweeted.

    The TMC leader contended that the Centre levies higher tax on petroleum products than the state and as such the reduction in excise duty wouldn’t have much bearing on the Union government’s exchequer.

    He further alleged that the Centre gives BJP-ruled states more funds when compared to those which have opposition parties at the helm.

    “The BJP-ruled state governments get their dues from the Centre on account of the taxes it levies, but Bengal remains deprived,” Ghosh said, iterating TMC’s allegation that the Union government metes out a “step-motherly treatment” to the Mamata Banerjee government.