State taxes should be decreased for relief to people
Writes letter to CM on highest petrol rates in AP
Centre and 23 other States reduced fuel rates
AMARAVATI: TDP national general secretary Nara Lokesh on Sunday urged Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to reduce State level taxes on petrol and diesel so as to provide relief to the AP people.
Lokesh said that the Centre and over 23 States in the country decreased their respective taxes in order to reduce burden on the people. But, the AP Government was not taking any steps towards providing relief to its people.
Nara Lokesh wrote an open letter to the Chief Minister, saying that the highest VAT tax of 31 percent on petrol in the country was being collected in Andhra Pradesh. In addition to this, Rs. 4 per litre was being collected towards additional VAT and another Re 1 towards road cess.
Lokesh said the AP people were being openly looted with the country’s highest petrol and diesel rates being collected in AP under the YCP rule. While all other States were trying to provide relief to their people, the Jagan Reddy regime was causing continuous price rise with total disregard for the people’s problems.
The TDP MLC pointed out that the Centre had reduced excise duty by Rs. 8 on petrol and Rs. 6 on diesel. As a result, the respective rates came down by Rs. 9.50 per litre petrol and Rs. 7 per litre diesel. The Kerala Government announced a reduction of State taxes to the tune of Rs. 2.41 on petrol and Rs. 1.36 on diesel.
Rajasthan reduced Rs. 2.48 on petrol and Rs. 1.16 on diesel.
Lokesh said that the Central Government had also suggested to the States to reduce their taxes ahead of Deepavali festival. But the AP Government was not reducing one single paisa tax. On the other hand, it was wasting hundreds of crores of public funds on publicity for the Chief Minister.
Nara Lokesh demanded that the AP Government reduce the additional VAT and road cess on fuel in the State. Because of the prevailing highest prices, the AP vehicles were getting tankfuls of petrol and diesel in other States bordering AP.
