VIJAYAWADA: TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh has urged Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to reduce State level taxes on petrol and diesel so as to provide some relief to people.The Centre and over 23 States in the country have decreased excise duty and other taxes on fuel in their respective purview in order to reduce burden on the people. The State government is yet to take any decision in this regard, he said.
In an open letter addressed to the Chief Minister on Sunday, the TDP MLC said the highest VAT of 31% on petrol in the country is being collected in Andhra Pradesh. In addition to this, Rs 4 per litre is being collected as additional VAT and another Rs 1 as road cess.“The people are being openly looted with the country’s highest petrol and diesel rates in the State under the YSRC rule. While all other States are trying to provide some relief to the people, the Jagan Mohan Reddy government is indifferent to the people’s problems,” he charged.
The TDP MLC pointed out that the Centre reduced excise duty by Rs 8 on petrol and Rs 6 on diesel per litre. As a result, the petrol and diesel prices have come down by Rs 9.50 and Rs 7 per litre.The Kerala government has announced a reduction of State taxes to the tune of Rs 2.41 on petrol and Rs 1.36 on diesel. The Rajasthan government reduced Rs 2.48 on petrol and Rs 1.16 on diesel, he stated.
Lokesh demanded that the AP government reduce the additional VAT and road cess on fuel to provide relief to people. Because of the highest fuel prices in the State, AP vehicles are now getting petrol and diesel in the neighbouring States causing a revenue loss to the exchequer, the TDP general secretary pointed out.