Union ministers Nitin Gadkari and Piyush Goyal on Friday reiterated that the government was considering bringing transport fuel under the Goods and Services Tax regime to control its price, IANS reported.
Their statements came a day after Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan said the same. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has also backed the idea.
The price of petrol and diesel rose for the 13th straight day on Saturday, with petrol costing Rs 77.97 per litre in New Delhi, 14 paise more than Friday. In Mumbai, petrol was 13 paise costlier at Rs 85.78. The price rose to Rs 80.61 in Kolkata and 80.95 in Chennai, according to the Indian Oil Corporation. Diesel was also more expensive in New Delhi at Rs 68.9 per litre, 15 paise more than Friday. The price rose to Rs 73.36 in Mumbai, Rs 71.45 in Kolkata and Rs 72.74 in Chennai.
“Petrol and diesel should have been brought under the GST,” transport minister Nitin Gadkari said at a conclave in New Delhi on Friday. “I asked officials during a presentation if we bring fuel prices under GST will it benefit the states or not. They said yes, they will benefit.”
Finance minister Piyush Goyal said the government was concerned about the rise in fuel prices, and had discussed the matter of bringing transport fuel under the ambit of GST. “There will be more discussion on the issue during the next GST Council meet,” Goyal added. “All decisions are taken with consensus among all states. If the Council decides to bring petrol and diesel under GST, the [Central] government will welcome it.”
Meanwhile, Congress leader Sachi Pilot on Saturday reiterated his party president Rahul Gandhi’s call to the government to rollback the rise in fuel prices instead of taking up fitness challenges, PTI reported. Pilot was referring to Union ministers and BJP leaders posting videos of their workouts on social media.
“Someone is doing push-ups and someone is showing fitness [in other ways] but fuel prices are rising,” Pilot told reporters in Jaipur. The Congress leader advised state governments to provide relief to people by slashing the Value Added Tax and cess levied on fuel prices.
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