Congress has cornered the government for increase in petrol and diesel price, which has been continuously increasing despite a sharp fall in crude oil prices. The Congress has demanded that petrol and diesel be brought under GST. Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala has said that the prices of petrol, diesel and LPG should be brought down to the level of August 2004, when the price of crude oil was $ 40 per barrel.
Surjewala said that in August 2004, petrol was Rs. 36.81 and diesel was Rs 24.16 per liter. The LPG cylinder was worth Rs 261.60, but now petrol, diesel and LPG are being sold for Rs 75.78, 74.03 and Rs 593.00. Surjewala also demanded the withdrawal of excise duty of Rs 23.78 and Rs 28.37, which was increased on petrol and diesel in 6 years.
He said that 130 crore citizens of the country are fighting against the corona epidemic today. The poor, migrant workers, shopkeepers, farmers, small and medium businessmen and large number of unemployed people are struggling for life in the face of this difficult economic recession and epidemic.
Surjewala described the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government as anti-people and said that even in such a situation, people are being burdened by increasing the prices of diesel and petrol every day, profiteering and extortion are being done. He said that in the last 8 days, the prices of petrol and diesel have been increased by Rs 4.52 and Rs 4.64 per liter, while the prices of crude oil are very low. Surjewala said that when the Modi government came to power in May 2014, the excise duty on petrol and diesel was only Rs 9.20 and Rs 3.46 per liter. The current excise duty on petrol and diesel are 258 and 820 percent higher than that of May 2014 which has led to an accumulation of 17,80,056 Crore rupees in the form of tax for the government.
He said that no government has any right to impose heavy tax on people when it is becoming difficult for the people. If the Modi government, which had occupied power by promising cheaper petrol and diesel, withdraws its increased excise duty during the last six years, both petrol and diesel will immediately fall below Rs 50 per liter.
Surjewala said that on 26 May 2014, when Narendra Modi took power as Prime Minister, the Indian oil companies were getting crude oil at US $ 108 per barrel. Then, according to the value of the rupee against the dollar, 6330 rupees per barrel is made. That is, the price of crude oil was falling at around Rs 40 per liter. He said that on June 12, 2020, the price of crude oil was $ 40 per barrel in the international market, which is about Rs 3038.64 per barrel. That means the total cost was less than Rs 20 per liter.
The Congress leader said that if the prices of petrol-diesel and LPG gas are reduced in this proportion, then it can be reduced by more than half. He questioned whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government would explain why petrol and diesel, which cost less than Rs 20 per liter, are being sold for Rs 75.78 and Rs 74.03 per liter?
