Gas pump owners in Haryana will hold a 24-hour strike on Monday to protest the center’s move to reduce the value-added tax (VAT) on fuel prices, saying they are facing losses due to a sudden decision. The Haryana Petroleum Dealers Association called a strike from 6 am on Monday to 6 am on Tuesday. On the eve of Diwali, the center announced that it would reduce the central tax on gasoline by 5 rupees per litre and diesel by 10 rupees per litre, which is seen as a major relief for consumers in the face of soaring fuel prices.
So far, 25 states and federal territories, including Haryana, have reduced value-added tax accordingly. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced that according to the decision of the center, gasoline and diesel in Haryana will be cheaper by 12 rupees. However, the state’s gasoline pump owners were not satisfied with this decision. “We ask the government to increase our commissions and compensate for the losses suffered due to the sudden cut in consumption tax,” Pavind Singh, the vice chairman of the National Petroleum Association, told the news agency ANI on November 12.
Singh added that because the center decided to reduce the consumption tax. Distributors face losses of hundreds of thousands of dollars in the value-added tax on gasoline and diesel. “Therefore, we demand compensation for the loss.” On the other hand, Anil Kumar, the national chairman of the Petroleum Dealers Association, claimed on November 12 that the association had been writing to the government of Haryana expressing its concerns, but received no response.
According to the Federal Ministry of Petroleum last week, 11 states and UT have not yet reduced the value-added tax on fuel prices. They are Maharashtra, New Delhi, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan state.
The ministry stated that after the reduction of value-added tax, Andaman and Nicobar had the cheapest gasoline prices at 82.96 rupees per liter and 77.13 rupees per liter, respectively.
News Source : Hindustan Times
