In a bid to put the Centre in a tight spot for not passing on the benefits of the declining international crude prices to the people, the CPI(M) on Tuesday moved a Statutory Motion in the Rajya Sabha seeking a reduction of excise duty on fuel price. The motion moved by CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury is expected to force the Government into some negotiations with Opposition parties as it has no majority in the Upper House.
The Government had recently increased excise duty by amending Central Excise Act. The left party now wants the duty to be brought down instead. Its Parliamentary Party leader Sitaram Yechury said that a voting on the issue will force all parties to take a stand on the sensitive issue. “It (Statutory Motion) has to be disposed of. Either I withdraw or the House rejects it and that has to be done through vote,” said Yechury while interacting with media.
Yechury said petrol and diesel prices would be around `40 and `35 respectively if the Government had passed on the benefits of fall in international crude price to consumers and not allowed private companies to make a “windfall of profits”.
He said his party, along with the JD(U) and the SP, has also given note of dissent over the report of Select Committee on Insurance Bill. The Bill seeks to raise the FDI cap in the sector from 26 per cent to 49 per cent.
Noting that the “Bill will see the light of the day” only if the Congress, which is the largest bloc in the Rajya Sabha, supports it, he said they will seek a division of votes.
Though he expressed his “agreement in principle” over the Government’s proposal to move a censure motion in lok Sabha against TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee for his alleged derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he accused the Government of “duplicity” as the Government opposed a similar motion against Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti for her use of objectionable language.