BHUBANESWAR: With pressure growing on the Centre to lower taxes on petrol and diesel and bring them under GST, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Skill Development Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday clarified that the Centre cannot impose its decision on the GST council.“It is a political issue. We cannot impose our decision on the GST council which is represented by almost all major political parties and State Governments. There should a consensus among stakeholders on the issue of bringing petrol and diesel under GST purview,” Pradhan said at the Odisha Literary Festival 2017 organised by The New Indian Express here in presence of Editorial Director Prabhu Chawla.
In a freewheeling discussion with Resident Editor of The New Indian Express, Odisha Srimoy Kar, Pradhan said he was of the opinion that all petroleum products should be brought under GST for benefit of the consumers. However, this has to be accepted by the GST council, he added.
Since a majority of the States and the Centre are ruled by BJP, Pradhan said some may argue that it is the responsibility of the saffron party to bring the two fuels under GST. But in a federal structure, the Centre cannot force its decision on the States which are members of the council.
I will fight from Odisha in 2019
BJP’s most prominent face in Odisha, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, said he will contest the elections from the State in 2019 elections. “Of course, I will contest the elections from Odisha. But whether as an MP or MLA, it is for the party to decide,” said the Minister. Pradhan, currently a Rajya Sabha member from Bihar, is leading the BJP’s State unit from the front and has been credited for the party’s success in panchayati raj election in February. Though he is widely perceived as the chief ministerial candidate of the BJP in the State, the party has so far maintained its policy of not announcing the the name as it had done in Uttar Pradesh election.
“My ministry requested the States to reduce VAT (Value Added Tax) on petrol and diesel by 5 per cent, a day after the Central Government cut excise duty on the two products to protect retail consumers from high global crude oil prices. While some States agreed and reduced VAT, many did not accept the proposal,” he said.While a State like Himachal Pradesh which is ruled by Congress reduced VAT by one per cent, some States having BJP government have shown reluctance and are yet to take take a decision, he said.
Noting that States are still not clear about the GST, the Union Minister said it would not be prudent to pursue even BJP-ruled states to accept the decision of the Centre on political line.
To a separate question on the high rate of inflation and declining growth of economy post GST implementation, Pradhan said, “Don’t jump to a conclusion so early. Just a quarter of the current fiscal has passed after the GST implementation. There is nothing to be panicky.”
Pradhan said a perception is being created by a section of media about the declining growth and high rate of inflation while there in no truth in it.Meanwhile, the Union Minister slammed Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for failing to live upto the hopes and aspirations of lakhs of unemployed youths of the State.
Pradhan, who had highly praised the Chief Minister for his simple living in the last year’s Odisha Literary Festival, said he had no personal animosity with the former. “I praise some of the qualities of Patnaik. This does not mean that I support him as Chief Minister and his policies,” he said.