Govt has not yet thought about further cut in fuel tax: CM Bommai
Bengaluru, May 28: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday said the government has not yet thought about further cut in fuel tax, following the Centre's recent decision to reduce excise duty on petrol and diesel.
Bowing to public pressure, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on May 21 had announced a Rs 8 per litre cut in excise duty on petrol and Rs 6 a litre on diesel to avoid increase in fuel prices that were necessitated due to surge in international oil prices.
Also, the Central government had decided to give Rs 200 per cylinder subsidy to Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries for 12 cylinders in a year to help ease some of the burden arising from cooking gas rates rising to record levels.
"No we have not yet thought about it...," Bommai said in response to a question on whether the state government has thought about any cut in fuel prices, following the Centre's decision.
Ahead of leaving for the Swiss ski resort town of Davos, to take part in the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting, Bommai on May 22 had said, his government will consider a further cut in fuel tax, following the Centre's decision.
He had earlier maintained that any decision in this regard will be taken after looking at the economy of the state.
The Chief Minister returned from Davos on Friday.
In November 2021, the state government had cut sales tax on petrol from 35 per cent to 25.9 per cent and on diesel from 24 per cent to 14.34 per cent, which resulted in petrol price reducing by Rs 13.30 per litre and diesel by Rs 19.47 per litre.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Will give 10 kg free ration to poor if INDIA bloc comes to power: Mallikarjun Kharge
Lucknow (UP) (PTI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced Wednesday that if the INDIA bloc is voted to power, it will double the quantity of free rations provided by the BJP government to the poor.
He referred to the Modi government scheme providing five kilograms of ration to the poor every month and said, "The Congress brought the Food Security Act, you did nothing."
"You are giving five kg, if INDIA bloc government is formed, we will give 10 kg of ration to the poor," Kharge said, addressing a joint press conference here with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
"I am saying this with guarantee because we have already done it in states, including Telangana and Karnataka," he added.
In a campaign speech recently, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had pitched for more employment opportunities for youngsters, saying the Modi government's scheme to provide free ration to the poor every month was not a solution.
"This will not build your future, this won't make you self-reliant," she had said.
BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, list the government's free ration scheme in every political rally. The party has even mentioned in its manifesto that it will continue the scheme till 2029 after coming to power.
Yadav has also promised in several of his rallies that the quality of ration distributed to the poor will be improved if the INDIA bloc comes to power.
