HYDERABAD: BJP State chief Bandi Sanjay said on Saturday that Telangana was among the States with the highest petrol price in the country, even as 18 States have reduced petrol and diesel prices. He asked what moral ground did TRS government have to blame the Centre on fuel price hike, when it has been looting the people by increasing the value-added tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel by four times since 2014.
In a statement issued on Saturday, he said that while the Centre has reduced excise duty on petrol and diesel twice, the State government was getting more in the form of VAT, whenever the prices went up.
He said that ten years ago, after processing petroleum products, the resultant chemicals were used to manufacture plastic by-products, from which the government used to generate revenue and balance the impact of increasing crude oil prices. However, he said, after countries around the world resolved to reduce plastic consumption in the interest of environment, demand for those by-products has come down, this was not effective in controlling the prices.
He asked why the State government that was demanding paddy procurement on the lines of Punjab was not reducing the price of petrol like Punjab, where it was just `105.46 per litre at present. The prices of petrol were not in the hands of the Central government, and that it depended on the international crude oil prices, he said. “From the selling price of petrol, 40 per cent is paid to companies manufacturing it. The rest of 60 per cent is shared by the Centre and the State in the form of taxes. Though there is discrepancy in various States in levying VAT, Telangana has been levying highest tax in the country. Even in the 30 per cent taxes levied by the Centre, 42 per cent of it goes back to the States as part of finance commission’s recommendations, which means the Centre keeps only 17 per cent,” he asked.
Meanwhile, BJP leader and MLA E Rajendar said on Saturday that people of Telangana will finish TRS politically in the coming elections like Shishupala, who faced punishment after committing 100 mistakes, at the hands of God. He was addressed public meeting in Seethayapally village in Yellareddy Mandal in the district on Saturday. He said TRS’ mistakes have become unbearable. He said that K Chandrasekhar Rao has lost the moral right to continue as CM.