BJP has no moral right to talk on petrol prices: Perni Nani

Amaravati: Minister for transport, information and public relations Perni Venkataramaiah (Nani) criticised the BJP leaders for demanding the state government to slash the VAT on petrol and diesel, although the same BJP in the Centre has been increasing the fuel prices from the last seven years.

Speaking to media here on Monday, the minister said that the Union government had increased the fuel prices from Rs 70 to Rs 115 per litre imposing heavy burden on common people and reduced only Rs 5-10 as an eyewash, as people taught a fitting lesson in the recent bypolls.

He demanded the BJP leaders to immediately withdraw the cess on petrol and diesel, and go for an agitation in front of the north block of Parliament, if they are really concerned about the public. He said that BJP leaders have no moral right to speak on the fuel prices, as it is their government in the Centre that hiked the prices and clarified that 14 states in the country have not reduced the fuel prices.

Citing crude oil prices in the international market, the Centre had blatantly increased fuel prices drastically and deceived the people, although the price of crude oil has come down. The minister said that the reduced price is from the excise duty, where even state governments get a share as part of tax devolution, whereas the states doesn't get any share in cess and surcharges collected by the Centre.

Further, Perni Nani stated that the state government had not increased the VAT of Rs 4 since the inception of the government but leved only Rs 1 as cess for repairing 8,970 km roads at a cost of Rs 2,205 crore.

In fact, it is the Centre that levies excise duty, road and Infrastructure cess and agriculture infrastructure and development cess on both petrol and diesel, he said and added that the Centre collects almost Rs 2,87,500 crore through various cess per annum in addition to Rs 47,000 crore of excise duty. He stated that on road infrastructure alone, the Centre collects Rs 1,98,000 crore each year, and slammed the BJP leaders for pointing out the state government's road cess.

The minister demanded the state BJP leaders to push the Centre to slash the fuel prices by another Rs 20-25 per litre. He said that the previous TDP government had neglected the roads in the state, which resulted in levying of Rs 1 as cess to repair them. He said that Andhra Pradesh has been a role model to various states in the country, where more welfare schemes are being implemented in a transparent manner.