BJP govt cut fuel price after losing deposits: Kodali Nani

Amaravati: Minister for civil supplies Kodali Sri Venkateswara Rao (Nani) said that the cut in excise on fuels by the Centre is only an eyewash, as the BJP was defeated in most of the byelections across the country and lost their deposits in Andhra Pradesh.

Addressing a press conference at YSRCP central office at Tadepalli on Tuesday, the minister said that the Centre has increased the prices of petrol and diesel, despite the fall in crude oil prices in the past few years. The fuel rates have gone to Rs 110 from Rs 70, but the Centre has slashed only Rs 5- Rs 10 even though the hike was almost Rs 40.

However, the BJP leaders have been propagating as if they have achieved something big, while the common people are suffering with the abnormally high fuel prices.

He said that Centre is showing excise duty as only Rs 47,000 crore to reduce the share of the state governments, besides imposing taxes worth Rs 3.5 lakh crore and looting people every year.

The minister stated that the BJP had lost deposits in both Badvel and Tirupati bypolls, and left as a silly party in the state that indulged in cheap politics by creating divisions among different castes and religions. He questioned the BJP leaders have they ever thought the reason behind losing the deposits and stated that BJP was defeated for creating a malicious propaganda against the state government's initiatives.

Responding to the TDP leaders' agitation at petrol bunks on Tuesday seeking reduction in VAT and other taxes by the state government, he said that the previous TDP government had imposed a surcharge of Rs 2 on the fuel prices and looted almost Rs 10,000 crore from the public for over four-and-a-half years.

Kodali Nani said that the current government had only levied Rs 1 for repairing roads that were terribly neglected during TDP rule.

The minister dared Chandrababu Naidu to protest in Delhi, as the increase and decrease of fuel prices is being done by the Centre.