Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman rules out cut in excise duty on petrol, diesel for now
New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday ruled out a cut in excise duty on petrol and diesel to ease rates that have touched all-time highs, saying payments in lieu of past subsidised fuel price pose limitations.
The previous Congress-led UPA government had issued bonds to state-owned oil companies to make up for the difference in the artificially suppressed retail selling price of fuel and the cost. These oil bonds and the interest thereon are being paid now.
Sitharaman said the government has paid over Rs 60,000 crore interest in the last 5 years on these oil bonds and there still was an outstanding of Rs 1.30 lakh crore.
"If I did not have the burden to service the oil bonds, I would have been in a position to reduce excise duty on fuel," she told reporters here.
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Two arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting woman at knifepoint in Kochi
Kochi (PTI): Two persons have been arrested after a three-member gang allegedly sexually assaulted a woman at knifepoint near Ernakulam Junction Railway station, officials said on Friday.
The arrested accused were identified as Danish (26), a native of Varkala in Thiruvananthapuram district, and Rahul (39), a native of Paravoor in Kollam district.
Police officials said they were searching for the prime accused, Sanjay, a native of Aroor in Alappuzha district.
According to police, the incident occurred on the night of May 5 when the victim was chatting with her friend near a closed hotel near Ernakulam Junction Railway station.
Officials said the accused approached them, attacked the victim’s friend and then allegedly threatened the woman with a knife before sexually assaulting her.
Police said the accused also allegedly disrobed the victim during the attack.
However, the woman managed to escape from the spot and approached a nearby shop for help.
Police were informed immediately and shifted the victim to the police station.
Officials said the accused were heavily drunk at the time of the incident and went into hiding soon after the attack.
Police registered a case on May 6 under charges including rape, disrobing a woman, criminal intimidation and robbery.
The two accused were later arrested in the city, while efforts are continuing to trace Sanjay, police said.
The accused were produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody.
