Tirupati: Government flayed for continuing to impose VAT burden on people

Tirupati: TDP leaders held a novel protest against the government's failure to reduce VAT on petrol and diesel prices by garlanding petrol pump opposite the municipal corporation office here on Monday.

The leaders also broke a coconut in front of the pump as part of their protest. Holding placards in their hands they raised slogans and distributed pamphlets to the people to create awareness among them on how the government was misleading everyone without reducing VAT.

Speaking on the occasion, former MLA M Suguna recalled that earlier Jagan Mohan Reddy as Opposition leader made a hue and cry inside Assembly and also outside over the imposition of Rs 2 as Amaravati cess on petrol prices. Then he assured that the prices will be brought down to the lowest level compared to any other State in the country after he assumed power in the State. However, he ignored his promise after coming to power.

The price of petrol and diesel are the highest in AP now with a heavy burden of VAT. She pointed out that though the YSRCP government has been collecting Amaravati cess, no funds were being spent on Amaravati. As the people have been living under miserable conditions post Covid pandemic, the government should reduce the VAT by 10 per cent to give relief to people from the rising prices.

TDP leaders BL Sanjay, D Bhaskar Yadav, Surendra Naidu, Pushpavathi, RC Muni Krishna and others took part in the protest.

In another protest, All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) leaders pulled an auto-rickshaw with ropes criticising the nominal reduction in petrol and diesel prices by the Central government. They staged the protest at the Ambedkar statue opposite RTC central bus station. Addressing the protestors, AITUC district general secretary P Murali said that the Central government has increased the petrol and diesel prices till now indiscriminately and reduced now boasting of the nominal reduction of Rs 5 on petrol and Rs 10 on diesel.

They flayed the BJP leaders for staging dharnas demanding States to reduce the prices further. The BJP government should fulfil its promise of one nation and one tax by bringing petrol and diesel under GST. They also criticised Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy for not reducing the petro prices though he criticised the same during the campaigning ahead of elections in 2019. Auto union district secretary N Siva, K Radha Krishna, Ch Siva and others took part.