Assam slashes petrol and diesel prices by Rs 5/lt; Congress says 'BJP doing use & throw'

In a relief to Assam citizens, state Finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday, announced that petrol and diesel will become cheaper by Rs 5/litre with effect from midnight tonight. Moreover, the Assam government also withdrew the additional cess imposed on various liquor categories amid COVID lockdown in 2020. Assam goes to polls in April-May, with BJP eyeing to retain the north-eastern state.

Petrol price crosses Rs 88-mark in Delhi, diesel breaches Rs 85 in Mumbai

Assam slashes petrol prices

Slamming this populist move, Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill asked if 'BJP can cut fuel prices in Assam, what is stopping them from reducing prices pan India?'. Claiming that Assam was aware of BJP “use & throw” policy, he said that citizens must get a share of past profits. Congress has tied up with AIUDF to counter BJP in Assam. 

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Petrol prices stay high

Petrol price was increased by 31 paise per litre and diesel by 35 paise a litre, according to a price notification of state-owned fuel retailers on Friday. This took petrol price to an all-time high of Rs 88.14 a litre in Delhi and to Rs 94.64 in Mumbai. Diesel rates rose to Rs 78.38 per litre in the national capital and to an all-time high of Rs 85.32 in Mumbai. In four days, prices have gone up by Rs 1.21 per litre for petrol, while diesel has risen by Rs 1.25 a litre. Retail petrol rates have risen by Rs 18.57 per litre since mid-March 2020, after the government raised taxes by a record margin to mop up gains arising from fall in international oil prices. Diesel rates have gone up by Rs 16.09.
 
Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had told Parliament that the government is not considering a reduction in excise duty to cool rates from their record highs. Rates have risen as international oil prices touched USD 61 per barrel for the first time in more than a year on improving demand outlook amid the global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, he had said. Central and state taxes make up for over 61 per cent of the retail selling price of petrol and about 56 per cent of diesel. Sparse protests have sprung across the nation demanding a cut in diesel and petrol prices.

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BJP's Assam push

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Assam has kickstarted its election process for the upcoming Assembly polls with the formation of a 16-member State Election Committee - including CM Sarbananda Sonowal, Himanta Biswa Sarma and state chief Ranjeet Kumar Das. With Amit Shah and PM Modi kicking off the campaign at Kamrup, BJP eyes to retain the state. Assam witnessed massive protests against the CAA-NRC-NPR, as  Assamese people fear a massive inrush of migrants which will threaten their indigenous culture - violating the Assam accords. The BJP is yet to convince the state subjects of the merits of CAA, after the disastrous NRC drive which resulted in the exclusion of 19 lakh citizens.

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