Maharashtra: CM Shinde announces 'decision on reducing fuel VAT will be taken soon'

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, while addressing the state assembly, announced on Monday that the government will soon reduce the Value Added Tax (VAT) on fuel. He also took to Twitter to announce the same as he wrote, "A decision to reduce VAT on fuel will be taken soon to provide relief to the people of the state".

The announcement comes as the prices of fuel and diesel prices stand at Rs111.35 and Rs97.28 per litre, respectively in Maharashtra's capital, Mumbai. 

Earlier today, Shinde won the floor test in the state assembly as he proved his majority after 164 MLAs voted in his favour as opposed to 99 against him. Following his vote of confidence victory, Shinde recalled how he was mistreated in the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and stated that his rebellion with a dozen MLAs was a result of the party's behaviour towards him.

Late last month, around 40 MLAs left for Guwahati which led to the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray government and the appointment of Shinde with Devendra Fadnavis as the Deputy CM. 

Further in his address in the Assembly, Shinde said that he was suppressed for a long time and that Shiv Sena MLA Sunil Prabhu from Thackeray's camp is a witness to it.

As for the fuel prices, Shinde's promise of reducing VAT might bring down the petrol prices, which are over Rs 100 in five major cities, as well as the Diesel costs which are over Rs 90 in four cities.

Petrol-Diesel prices across major cities

If the reductions are made on the fuel prices as promised, this would be the first after the Maharashtra government announced slashing the state-imposed tax on petrol by Rs 2.08 per litre and on Diesel by Rs 1.44 per litre in May. Prior to this, the central government, on May 21, had also announced reducing taxes on petrol and diesel by Rs 8 and Rs 6, respectively.