KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today announced cheaper of fuel prices by Re 1 a litre, both petrol and diesel, effecting from midnight Tuesday across the state.
Announcing this at the state secretariat Nabanna, Ms Banerjee said this was decision by her government to give relief to people of the state, who have been constantly under pressure by rising of fuel prices for past weeks.
West Bengal is the third states after Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan to have reduced the prices of fuel to provide relief to people from the continuous surge in prices.
Petrol is retailing at Rs 83.75 a litre in Kolkata, while diesel is at Rs 75.82 per litre.
Giving a data, Ms Banerjee said the Union government since 2016 September has increased excise duty for 9 times.
The excise duty gone up Rs 11 and 77 paisa. The petrol price in January, 2016 was Rs 65,12 for a litre, which was now Rs 81,60 for a litre.
She alleged that the faulty fiscal policy of the Centre affecting the life of countrymen in every respects.
Ms Banerjee said the state having money crunch with the legacy of debt burden still reduced the prices of fuel in order to give relief to the people at large.