Describing the Central government’s decision of slashing the excise duty on petrol and diesel as an ‘eyewash’, Communist Party of India (Marxist) Andhra Pradesh unit secretary V. Srinivasa Rao on Sunday said that the Union government, which had increased the excise duty from ₹9 to ₹30 on the fossil fuel in the past several years, reduced it by ₹8 now.
“The States have no share in the cess imposed on petroleum products by the Centre. The excise duty on petrol and diesel needs to be brought down by ₹16 more,” Mr. Srinivasa Rao told the media here, adding that 10 Left parties would picket the Collectors’ offices in all 26 districts on May 30, demanding further reduction in fuel prices.
He also demanded that the State government must reduce tax on petrol and diesel. “The Kerala government has reduced the State tax and Andhra Pradesh should do trhe same,” said the CPI(M) leader.
Referring to the ₹200 subsidy announced by the Centre on LPG cylinder refills for the beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, Mr. Srinivasa Rao said only 9 crore LPG consumers would be benefitted, while the remaining 90% of the consumers would continue to pay more than ₹1,000 per refill.
“One refill of an LPG cylinder used to cost ₹600 when the NDA government assumed the office in 2014. The same has gone beyond ₹1,000 now,” he pointed out.
Seeking immediate arrest of YSRCP MLC from East Godavari, Ananta Satya Udaya Bhaskar, on charge of murdering his former driver Veedhi Subramanyam, the CPI(M) leader alleged that anarchy was prevailing in the State under the YSRCP rule. “The ruling party leaders do not bother to protect the people, while the police remain silent,” said Mr. Srinivasa Rao.
