CM Siddaramaiah defends hike in petrol and diesel prices
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday defended the hike in petrol and diesel prices saying that it will ensure funding essential public services and development projects.
With the opposition BJP and its ally JD(S) coming down heavily on the Congress government for increasing the petrol and diesel prices by Rs 3 and Rs 3.5 per litre respectively, Siddaramaiah said even after the hike, taxes on fuel remains low compared to most southern states.
"The Government of Karnataka has increased VAT on petrol to 29.84 per cent and on diesel to 18.44 per cent. Even after this hike, our state's taxes on fuel remain lower than most South Indian states and similar economy-sized states like Maharashtra," the Chief Minister said in a statement.
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According to him, the VAT on petrol is 25 per cent plus Rs 5.12 additional tax, and on diesel in Maharashtra it is 21 per cent. Karnataka's revised rates are still more affordable, he pointed out.
"Karnataka's VAT adjustment ensures we can fund essential public services and development projects. The state remains committed to balanced and responsible governance," Siddaramaiah emphasised.
Stating that despite the VAT hike, diesel prices in Karnataka are still lower than in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, the Chief Minister said, "We remain committed to keeping fuel prices reasonable for our citizens."
He also took a dig at the opposition BJP, which has decided to stage statewide protests on Monday.
"The then double engine BJP government collaborated to divert Karnataka's resources to other states. The state BJP govt kept reducing VAT on petrol and diesel while the Central govt increased its own taxes," the Chief Minister charged.
He alleged that this manipulation by the previous BJP government in the state led to reduced revenue for Karnataka, "while the Central government collected more for its coffers, cheating Kannadigas."
Siddaramaiah said that the Central Excise duty on petrol was Rs 9.48 per litre and Rs 3.56 on diesel before the BJP came to power in 2014. However, during the tenure of the BJP government, the Central Excise Duty on petrol and diesel was steeply increased, reaching a record high of Rs 32.98 and Rs 31.83, respectively, in May 2020.
Subsequently, the Excise duty on petrol and diesel was cut by Rs 13 a litre and Rs 16 litre, respectively, between November 2021 and May 2022, he added.
"Despite the reductions, the current Central excise duty on petrol is Rs 19.9 and on diesel is Rs 15.8. We urge the Union Government to reduce these taxes for the benefit of the people," the Chief Minister said.
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Irregularities in Valmiki Corporation, BJP to lay siege to Deputy Commissioner’s offices on June 28
New Delhi: B.Y. Vijayendra, BJP state president and MLA, has called for immediate action amidst allegations of financial irregularities amounting to 187 crores in the Valmiki Development Corporation. Addressing the media in Delhi today, Vijayendra demanded the resignation of Sharanprakash Patil, the president of the corporation, placing responsibility on the Chief Minister, who also serves as the finance minister.
"We are set to besiege the Deputy Commissioner's office across all districts of the state on June 28th to protest this misuse of funds meant for Scheduled Tribes," stated Vijayendra, accusing the Congress-led government of misappropriating the funds.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has initiated an investigation following a letter from the Union Bank of India concerning the alleged scam. Vijayendra criticized the state government's handling of the matter, questioning the formation and functioning of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) tasked with the investigation.
He further alleged that Minister Nagendra's resignation amidst accusations of transferring funds to a benami account in Telangana, used during the Lok Sabha elections, shows the severity of the issue."
Turning to economic concerns, Vijayendra expressed dismay over recent price hikes imposed by the state government, including increased stamp duty and electricity rates. He highlighted grievances of farmers facing significant costs, such as a steep rise in transformer installation fees from 25 thousand to 2.5 lakh rupees.
"The Congress government, elected with a clear mandate, is betraying the people through these policies," Vijayendra asserted, emphasizing public discontent with what he described as ongoing injustices.
