KTR lashes out at Centre over high fuel prices

Petrol and diesel prices today
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Petrol and diesel prices today

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Lashing out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP government for not reducing the fuel prices even after the crude oil prices in the international markets came down drastically

Hyderabad: Lashing out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP government for not reducing the fuel prices even after the crude oil prices in the international markets came down drastically, the TRS working president K T Rama Rao on Wednesday demanded the Centre to immediately decrease the petrol prices.

Rama Rao alleged that the BJP government was not taking any steps to decrease the fuel prices and reduce the burden on the people of the country. The Modi government's excuse that international crude oil prices are the reason for the increase in fuel prices has once again proven to be wrong said KTR adding that if the price of a barrel of crude oil decreases internationally, the people of the country should be benefitted. However, the Modi Government does not want that to happen, that is why the BJP government is increasing excise duties and cesses.

Since 2014, the Centre increased fuel prices and looted over Rs 26 lakh crore rupees from the people. Rama Rao alleged that the Modi government was exploiting common people and serving the corporate. As they are too busy serving the interests of the corporates, they do not have any concern towards the sufferings of the poor and the middle classes, he alleged. "Before coming to power, PM Modi always used to say that the rise in fuel prices was a failure of the then Central government. Will Modi now admit that he has failed miserably in controlling the rise of fuel prices?" asked Rao.

The price of a barrel of crude oil was around 110 dollars in 2014, in 2020, the price of barrel crude oil fell to even 11 dollars due to Covid and lockdown. However, the Centre never reduced fuel prices, said Rao. The first three years of PM Modi coming to power, between May 2014 to September 2017, the excise duty on petrol increased by 54 percent, while on diesel, it increased by 154 percent, added KTR.

The Minister said that the States get very little income from the excise duty increased by the Centre. Modi government, with an aim to weaken the states economically, has increased the petrol rates mostly in the form of cesses and not in the form of taxes, he added. Rao said that if the Centre lifts the duty levied on fuel, people would get a relief of around Rs 30 per litre.

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