Dharmendra Pradhan, the Union Petroleum Minister, stated on Sunday that he understands that rising gasoline and diesel prices are an issue, but that they can’t be reduced because the government is saving money to spend on social initiatives.
In recent days, the costs of commonly used motor fuels have risen dramatically, with petrol breaking the ₹100 barrier in certain Indian cities.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved ₹1 lakh crore under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana scheme to give free foodgrain to the poor for eight months. Under PM-Kisan, thousands of crores have been directly deposited in the bank accounts of our farmers. The MSP was hiked recently.
And all this is happening in the current year,” Pradhan said. He also poked fun at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who has been critical of the government over rising petrol costs, saying that if he is so concerned, he should ask his chief ministers in Rajasthan and Maharashtra (where the party is a member of the ruling coalition) to lower prices.
He also poked fun at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who has been critical of the government over rising petrol costs, saying that if he is so concerned, he should ask his chief ministers in Rajasthan and Maharashtra (where the party is a member of the ruling coalition) to lower prices. The impact of municipal taxes such as VAT and freight costs on fuel prices varies from state to state.
As a result, petrol in seven states and union territories – Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Ladakh – costs more than ₹100/lt.
Petrol and diesel prices have risen by 5.72% to 6.25% in less than six weeks, putting them at all-time highs in several locations across the country.
This is due to a combination of increased global energy prices and historically high federal and state levies.
Since May 4, when state-owned oil businesses broke an 18-day hiatus in rate revisions caused by assembly elections in four states and the union territory of Puducherry, petrol and diesel prices have been raised 23 times.
