The comments on the issue of fuel cost were made during the gathering with Chief Ministers to survey the Covid-19 circumstance, had the opposition responding indignantly and blaming him for wading into controversy.
Raising the issue of high fuel costs in opposition-managed states which didn’t notice the Center’s call to decrease Value Added Tax on petroleum and diesel.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked these states Wednesday to cut VAT and work “in the spirit of agreeable federalism” in this “time of worldwide emergency.” By not giving advantages to individuals, these states, he said, were doing them an injustice and harming adjoining states.
The Prime Minister said that last November, a solicitation was made to lower VAT. Nonetheless, it was, for the most part, the BJP-show states that sliced VAT to various edges last year, following the Center. The Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi did it a lot later.
For reasons unknown, naming the states like Maharashtra, West Bengal, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Jharkhand didn’t happen as such. Calling upon the opposition-ruled states to act now, PM Modi said, “I request these states to do now what they should have done in November.
You can reduce the burden on residents by lowering the VAT.” I am not criticizing anyone but am praying to you for the welfare of the people of your states… I urge you to reduce VAT now, even after a delay of six months, to benefit people.
He referred to the cases of Gujarat and Karnataka, which have lost over 4,000 crores and 5,000 crores, separately, since November by bringing down charges. Maharashtra, then again, has gathered an overabundance of 3,500 crores to 5,500 crores during a similar period.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee told the media people that the conversation with the Prime Minister was completely one-sided and misleading and got stepmotherly treatment. Adding further, she mentioned that “The facts shared by him were wrong.
Our government provided a Re1 subsidy on petrol prices. We have lost Rs 1,500 crore because of this, but the Prime Minister didn’t say a word about this. Instead, he kept appreciating BJP-ruled states. The Centre owes West Bengal Rs 97,000 crore.
I request the PM to pay us half of that amount, and we will provide a much higher subsidy on petrol and diesel than BJP-ruled states. ”
Edited By: Khushi Thakur
Published By: Shubham Ghulaxe
