VIJAYAWADA: To overcome the financial crisis arising out of the lockdown and the government’s efforts to help migrant workers and others who were adversely impacted by the restrictions, the state government on Monday reverted to the tax regime prevailing between 2015 and 2018 and revised the VAT on petrol and diesel.
In a GO issued on Monday, the government said the revised rates for petrol will be 31 per cent VAT plus `4 per litre of petrol. Before the revision, petrol attracted 31 per cent VAT plus `2.76 per litre. Similarly, the tax on diesel will be 22.5 per cent VAT plus `4 per litre, as against the earlier rate of 22.5 per cent VAT plus `3.07 per litre. The decision to revert to the earlier tax regime will result in an increase of `1.24 per litre of petrol and 93 paise for diesel, official sources said.
Detailing the measures taken during the lockdown, the government said it ramped up healthcare infrastructure and governing systems to manage the pandemic. “This government’s people-centric initiative of decentralisation of governance, the village/ward volunteers and secretariat system proved to be a boon during the pandemic. With an army of around four lakh foot soldiers, the government could conduct five rounds of house-to-house survey, which immensely helped in contact tracing,” the government said in the GO.