The State unit of the Congress on Monday said the strike by the Delhi Petrol Dealers’ Association caused tremendous inconvenience to the people but the city government seemed ‘least bothered’ about the plight of the people.
Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken slammed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for his rigid stand on not reducing the Value Added Tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel.
Instead of providing relief to the people of Delhi, Mr. Maken said, Mr. Kejriwal was engaged in the “now-familiar blame game” that suits him as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Ever since the prices of petrol and diesel started shooting up due to higher excise duty by the BJP-led Central government and higher VAT by the Delhi government, which the Aam Aadmi Party government has refused to cut, people have been filling petrol and diesel from neighbouring States due to lower taxes there,” claimed Mr. Maken.
He said he written to Mr. Kejriwal earlier this month that VAT charged on petrol in Delhi is 27% and 16.6% on diesel, while the same during the Congress regime in Delhi was 20% and 12% respectively.
The Delhi Congress said the party has repeatedly asked the Modi government to bring petroleum products under GST but this was not been done. As a result, it said, petrol and diesel are cheaper in other States.
Mr. Maken said reduction in VAT on petrol and diesel will benefit the lowest segments of society since Delhi has about 70 lakh two-wheelers, 1.75 lakh three-wheelers, 2.25 lakh goods carriers and 1.20 lakh motor cabs.
