By PTI
MUMBAI: Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Sunday described the central authorities’s transfer of slashing excise responsibility on gas as a mere “eyewash” and mentioned if it actually needed to offer reduction to individuals, then it ought to cut back the worth of LPG cylinder to Rs 400 and in addition restore subsidy on it.
The Centre on Saturday introduced a document Rs 8 per litre reduce in excise responsibility on petrol and Rs 6 discount on diesel.
“If the Modi government is honest, then the unjust increase in excise duty imposed since 2014 should be withdrawn,” Patole mentioned.
He accused the Centre of fooling individuals by first growing the LPG costs by Rs 700 after which decreasing them by Rs 200.
“If the Modi government has a sincere desire to save the common man from inflation, then the price of a gas cylinder should be reduced to Rs 400 and subsidy on it should be restored. If it is really sincere and wants to give relief to people, then the unjust increase in fuel tax imposed since 2014 should be reduced,” he added.
BJP leaders in Maharashtra are making “wrong and misleading” statements by demanding that the state authorities cut back its share of taxes on the gas, he alleged.
“The states’ share is Value Added Tax (VAT) and as soon as the central government reduces prices, the VAT automatically decreases. For every one rupee reduced by the Centre, 41 paise belongs to the state. That means about Rs 4 on the Rs 9.5 relief on petrol belongs to the state. About Rs 3 of the Rs 7 per litre cut in diesel belongs to the state government,” he claimed.
The Congress chief accused the Modi authorities of looting the general public by imposing numerous cess, like street improvement cess, agricultural improvement cess.
The state will get its share of excise responsibility, however doesn’t get its share of cess, he mentioned.
“On the one hand, by reducing the excise duty, the central government is trying to create financial difficulties for the state, while on the other hand, it is robbing the people by imposing cess. This dual taxation should be stopped immediately,” Patole demanded.
