News Analysis India

Tag: petrol price hike

  • Congress attacks PM Narendra Modi for high excise duty, demands roll back

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Congress on Wednesday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he attacked the opposition-ruled states for not reducing the Value Added Tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel, saying the excise duty during UPA government was much lower than what it is under the Modi regime and asked the PM to roll back the hike.

    “Modiji, no criticism, no distractions, no Jumlas! Excise Duty during Congress Government – Petrol – Rs 9.48/litre and Diesel – Rs 3.56/litre. Modi Government – Petrol – Rs 27.90/litre and Diesel – Rs 21.80/litre. Please roll back the excise hike of Rs 18.42 in Petrol and Rs 18.24 per litre in Diesel,” Surjewala said on Twitter.

    Coming down hard on the Opposition-ruled states, Modi on Wednesday said some states did not reduce VAT on petrol and diesel despite the cut in excise duty by the Centre last November.

    He said the states had done “injustice” to the people by not transferring the benefits of the cut to them.

    Speaking at an interaction with chief ministers on the emergent COVID-19 situation in the country, Modi said he wanted to flag the challenges being faced by the people due to the war.

    “The situation of war which has arisen, has affected the supply chain, and in such an environment, the challenges are increasing day by day,” Modi said in an apparent reference to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

    “This global crisis is bringing many challenges. In such a situation, it has become imperative to further enhance the spirit of cooperative federalism and coordination between the Centre and states,” he said.

  • Ask yourself what an average family got in return for paying huge amount as fuel tax: P Chidambaram

    Chidambaram's attack on the government came on a day petrol and diesel prices were again hiked by 80 paise a litre each, taking the total increase in rates in less then two weeks to Rs 8 per litre.

  • Congress leaders stage protest against rising fuel prices

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Congress MPs led by Rahul Gandhi on Thursday staged a protest against the fuel price hike at Vijay Chowk here and sought its roll back.

    Congress MPs from both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha carrying placards raised slogans against the government and sat on a dharna against the rise in price of petrol, diesel and LPG gas.

    Among those present included Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

    In the last 10 days, petrol and diesel price have been increased 9 times. We demand that the rising prices should be brought under control. Congress party is holding nationwide protests on this issue today: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, in Delhi pic.twitter.com/8AB8NusLC4
    — ANI (@ANI) March 31, 2022
    The Congress is also launching a week-long countrywide protest against inflation and rise in fuel prices.

    Petrol and diesel prices were on Thursday hiked by 80 paise a litre each, taking the total increase in rates in the last 10 days to Rs 6.40 per litre.

    Rates have been increased across the country and vary from state to state depending upon the incidence of local taxation.

    This is the ninth increase in prices since the ending of a four-and-half-month long hiatus in rate revision on March 22.

  • Get your petrol tanks filled before ‘election offer’ ends: Rahul Gandhi’s dig at Centre over fuel price hike

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday took a swipe at the Modi government over impending fuel price hike after assembly polls and asked people to get their petrol tanks filled as he said the “election offer” will end soon.

    He took to Twitter to take a dig at the central government as campaigning for the last phase of assembly polls in five states ended on Saturday.

    “Quickly get your petrol tanks full. The ‘Election’ offer of the Modi government is going to end soon,” Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi and used a picture of a petrol pump saying “Hike” and “Coming back soon to fuel stations near you”.

    The Congress has been accusing the BJP government of stalling the hike in fuel prices during elections and raising the prices soon after the polls are over.

    The current phase of assembly elections in five states, including Uttar Pradesh, that started on February 10, will end on March 7.

    Counting of votes will take place on March 10.

  • Symbolic reduction in excise duty on petrol, diesel will not bring down inflation: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: Saying that a “symbolic” reduction of Rs 5 and Rs 10 per litre in the excise duty on petrol and diesel will not bring down inflation, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday said the Centre should promise to the country that the fuel prices will not be increased in this way in the future.

    He also claimed that people know that after the Assembly polls in five states, the prices will start increasing again.

    The Centre recently reduced the central excise duty by Rs 5 and Rs 10 per litre on the prices of petrol and diesel respectively.

    Subsequently, several states cut the Value-Added Tax (VAT) on fuel rates.

    The Congress government in Rajasthan is yet to announce a VAT reduction in the prices of petrol and diesel and is facing flak from the opposition BJP over the issue.

    Gehlot said he will hold discussions about reducing the VAT on petrol and diesel in the state at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday and an appropriate decision will be taken.

    “We will decide whatever is possible,” he said.

    The senior Congress leader said it is for the first time after independence that the country is facing such high inflation.

    Blaming the policies of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre for this, he said the prices of petrol, diesel and LPG cylinders kept on increasing continuously and then Rs 5 and Rs 10 per litre were reduced on the petrol and diesel rates, which is insufficient to curb the inflation.

    “Our demand is that you (Centre) make a promise to the country that the rates will not be increased in this way in the future, only then the inflation will start coming down,” Gehlot told reporters here.

    He said inflation is a big issue in the country and every household is affected.

    “Be it the middle class or the poor, living has become difficult. It has become difficult for women to run the kitchen,” the chief minister said, adding that the top priority of the NDA government should be to curb the inflation.

    Gehlot was at the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) office to pay tributes to former prime minister Jawahar Lal Nehru on his birth anniversary.

    He also launched the “Jan Jagran Saptah” (public awareness week), under which various activities including foot marches will be conducted across the state on the issue of inflation, on a call given by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party leader Rahul Gandhi.

  • Centre should distribute Rs 4 lakh crore raised from hiked oil prices among states: Mamata Banerjee

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Claiming that the Centre has raised Rs 4 lakh crore in the recent times from increased fuel prices, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday demanded that the money be equally distributed among the states.

    Banerjee, during an Assembly session, alleged that the Union government has slashed excise duty recently on petrol and diesel, with an eye on the upcoming Assembly elections in five states.

    “The central government has collected around Rs 4 lakh crore from the taxes levied from selling cooking gas, petrol and diesel at increased prices. Now, they (BJP) want the states to reduce the VAT. Where will the states get their money from? The Centre should distribute that Rs 4 lakh crore equally among the states,” she said while addressing the West Bengal assembly.

    The CM further said that the state has been providing several subsidies despite financial constraints.

    “Whenever elections are near, they (Centre) bring down the prices. Once that is over, they increase it again. Those lecturing us on oil prices should first answer where the state government will get its money from. The Union government does give us our due funds,” she said, targeting the BJP, which has threatemend to launch a “movement” if the VAT on oil is not reduced.

    Banerjee also accused the central government of meting out a step-motherly treatment to Bengal during distribution of vaccines among states. “The number of vaccines doled out to us was much less compared to states such as Uttar Pradesh. We have ensured that not a single vaccine dose gets wasted,” she said.

  • Himachal Pradesh joins wagon, reduces VAT on petrol, diesel 

    By PTI

    SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh government announced on Thursday that Value Added Tax (VAT) on petrol would be reduced by Rs 2 per litre and Rs 4.60 on diesel.

    Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said petrol would be cheaper by Rs 12 per litre whereas diesel would also be cheaper by Rs 17 per litre in the state.

    The Centre on Wednesday had reduced the excise duty on petrol by Rs 5 and that on diesel by Rs 10.

    In a notification issued here on Thursday, the Himachal Pradesh government has reduced the tax on petrol from 25 per cent or Rs 15.50 per litre to 17.5 per cent or Rs 13.50 per litre.

    Similarly, it reduced the tax on diesel from 14 per cent or Rs 9 per litre to six percent or Rs 4.40 per litre.

    Additional Chief Secretary (State Taxes and Excise) Jagdish Chander Sharma said the order would come into force from Thursday midnight.

    The chief minister thanked the Union government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reducing the excise duty on petrol and diesel.

    “This decision of the Union government provided much needed relief to the people of the country,” he added.

  • Government slashes petrol excise duty by Rs 5 and diesel excise duty by Rs 10

    By Online Desk

    On the eve of Diwali, the Government of India announced its decision to reduce fuel prices, Rs 5 on petrol and Rs 10 on diesel.

    The government said these prices will come into effect from Nov 4, Thursday.

    On eve of #Diwali, Government of India announces excise duty reduction on petrol and diesel. Excise duty on Petrol and Diesel to be reduced by Rs 5 and Rs 10 respectively from tomorrow pic.twitter.com/peYP1fA4gO
    — ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2021
    This decision definitely comes as a relief to citizens as fuel prices for a while have been rising constantly on account of the excise tax and VAT imposed by the Union government and state governments.

    ALSO READ: Fuel prices soar by Rs 8 a litre in October

    Earlier today, one litre of petrol breached the Rs 110-mark on Tuesday in the national capital while the same was sold at Rs 115.85 in Mumbai. In a more troublesome news for consumers, especially during the on-going festive season, fuel prices are showing no signs of slowing down after becoming dearer by around Rs 7.50-8.00 a litre in October alone. 

    The rate of 1 litre of petrol was hiked by 35 paise on Tuesday, though the price of diesel remained unchanged. With this fresh hike, seventh in a row, petrol prices in Delhi was at a record high of Rs 110.04 per litre on Tuesday, while diesel was sold at Rs 98.42 per litre.

    Among the four metros, fuel prices are the highest in the financial capital Mumbai, with 1 litre of petrol and diesel costing Rs 115.85 and Rs 106.62, respectively. In Chennai, petrol is at Rs 106.66 per litre, while diesel is available at Rs 102.59. In Kolkata, petrol and diesel are retailing at Rs 110.49 and Rs 101.56 per litre, respectively.

  • Centre should celebrate centenaries in fuel prices: Chidambaram’s jibe at Modi government

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Taking a swipe at the central government over the rising fuel prices, former Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Monday said the Centre should celebrate the “centenaries” just like it did for 100 crore COVID vaccinations.

    “PM Modi led his ministers in celebrating 100 crore vaccinations. He should also lead by example in celebrating other centenaries: Petrol crossed Rs 100 per litre a few weeks ago and now Diesel has crossed Re 100 per litre. When gas cylinder crosses Rs 1,000 per cylinder, there will be another opportunity to celebrate,” tweeted Chidambaram

    Petrol and diesel prices witnessed a hike for the fifth consecutive day across the country on Sunday.

    With a hike of Rs 0.35, the price of petrol in the national capital increased to Rs 107.59 per litre. The price of diesel also saw a hike of Rs 0.35 in Delhi thereby amounting to Rs 96.32 per litre respectively.

    Mumbai also reported a surge in fuel prices. Petrol witnessed a hike of Rs 0.34 and costs Rs Rs 113.46 per litre, while diesel rates sored by Rs 0.38 amounting to Rs 104.38.

    As for Kolkata, the price of petrol is Rs 108.11 per litre, while diesel is Rs 99.43 per litre. In Chennai, petrol and diesel cost Rs 104.52 and Rs 100.59 per litre respectively.

    Rates have been increased across the country and differ from state to state depending on the incidence of value-added tax.

    The rising fuel prices in the country are not going to come down immediately. The central government is in talks with several oil-exporting countries on the issue of supply and demand of oils but there is no possibility of immediate relief in prices.

    Last week, a source told ANI that the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas recently raised concerns about the matter of pricing, supply and demand of oils to the major oil-producing countries.

    “As crude oil prices rise internationally, the petroleum ministry has called on the energy ministries of many countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Russia and others,” the source told ANI.

  • Uttar Pradesh Minister Upendra Tiwari says fuel prices don’t matter, ’95 per cent people don’t need petrol’

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Dismissing criticism over the rising fuel prices, Uttar Pradesh minister Upendra Tiwari on Thursday said 95 per cent people have no use for petrol.

    Tiwari also argued that fuel prices had not really risen in real terms when the per capita income now is compared with that in 2014, referring to the year when a BJP-led government first came to power at the Centre.

    “Today, there are just a handful of people who travel in four-wheel vehicles and use petrol. At present, 95 per cent people don’t need petrol,” Tiwari told reporters in Jalaun.

    Higher fuel costs, however, impact virtually every citizen.

    For example, they lead to an increase in the price of all commodities — including foodgrain, fruit and vegetables — that are transported from one part of the country to another.

    The minister’s remark comes when petrol prices have crossed Rs 100 per litre in most parts of the country, and diesel hovers close to that mark.

    He claimed that the opposition doesn’t have any real issue to attack the government.

    “You see the data before 2014. What is the per capita income after the formation of the Modi and the Yogi governments?” he said, referring to the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh.

    “Today, the per capita income is double,” he claimed.

    He also referred to free schooling and the coronavirus vaccination offered by the government.