Government decision to fix VAT on petro products has come under fire with opposition parties criticizing government saying this decision will prevent people from availing benefits of reduction in petrol and diesel prices.
“This decision of the government is anti people. During election campaign the Samajwadi Party had promised to bring VAT at par with the neighbouring states but now it has been fixed preventing people from availing tax benefits,” BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak said in a statement issued here on Wednesday.
According to government decision VAT on petrol has been fixed at Rs 16.74 per liter and on diesel 9.41 per liter. Earlier, the VAT on petrol was 26.8 per cent and on diesel it was 17.48 per cent. With increase or decrease in prices of petroleum products the VAT changed automatically and benefits were extended to the consumers.
“With Government fixing the VAT price the benefits of decrease in prices of petroleum products will not be extended now,” Pathak said. “It is a sheer cheating with the people,” he said.
lucknow Petroleum Dealers’ Association claimed that despite recent decrease in prices of petrol and diesel the consumers will have to pay anything between Rs 1.20 and Rs 1.75 extra per liter.
Congress spokesman Amarnath Agarwal this decision of the government was irrational. On one hand it has increased pension of loktantra Senanis while on the other deprived the common man on the streets from the benefit of international market.
“Every citizen of this country believes in democracy and he is loktantra senani in true sense. The Government should issue a white paper on government earning through VAT on petrol and diesel,” Agarwal said.
General secretary Rashtriya lok dal Anil Dubey too termed this decision as anti-people. “This decision will lead to increase in prices of essential commodities. The Government should review this decision,” he said.