'No proposal to cut taxes on petrol & diesel': UP govt emphasises need for state revenue

On Thursday, the Uttar Pradesh government said that there is no proposal to reduce tax on petrol and diesel as revenue is needed to ensure the betterment of health services and other development works which was affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the question hour in the state assembly, Cabinet Minister Satish Mahana responded to Samajwadi Party (SP) member Narendra Verma and said that there is no such proposal under the state government's consideration. 

"There is no proposal under consideration to reduce tax on petrol and diesel in view of the resources and financial requirements for improving health facilities and other developmental works keeping in mind the COVID-19 pandemic," said Mahana, reported PTI.

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Mahana stated that Uttar Pradesh is getting petrol and diesel at a lower price as compared to other states.

"Currently, consumers in Uttar Pradesh are getting diesel at a lower price than the states of Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Punjab and Uttarakhand. Similarly, petrol is available at lower prices here as compared to Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Punjab, Orissa, Delhi, Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh," he added, reported PTI.

About the decrease in LPG prices, the minister said since the Goods and Services Tax (GST) came into force on July 1, 2017, the state has no right to reduce the tax. It is for the GST council to decide on it. However, the opposition Congress and SP were not convinced and staged a walkout, saying the government was 'anti-farmers, anti-women, and anti-common man.

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(With PTI Inputs)