Despite constant protests by Opposition parties, the hike in petrol and diesel prices are not coming down. There remains no action in price reduction by the government. It looks more like the three farm laws which have brought the farmers on the road. The bikers and the motorists are as helpless as farmers.
They are in the red and looking towards the sky for a better sense to prevail in authorities. In place of existential misery, they were waiting for some appropriate step. Those at the helm of affairs are clutching their pearls and, yet, do not think of people as saviours. Our good samaritan was neither the centre nor the states. They should appear to be practical.
All of the highlights from the assembly election campaigns do pour in day and night, but no solution to the petrol and MSP approach. No one denies that the income of the union and the state governments has grown with the hike in petrol and diesel prices. It is quite odd that politicians accept people’s problems due to this phenomenon but do not make positive decisions.
It is a strange fact that petrol is selling at a rate higher than its base price. Why so? Because the appetite to earn more cannot be minimised. Petrol is available at ₹31.82 at ex-factory price in Delhi and it increases with the additional tax of ₹53.51. The profit is apparently clear.
Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has also made it clear that no nod on the part of the GST Council has been received for bringing this item under the purview of GST. So the chance of lowering down the existing price extends for days or weeks or perhaps months.
लोकसभा में एक सवाल के लिखित जबाव में वित्तमंत्री निर्मला सीतारमण ने कहा कि पेट्रोलियम प्रोडक्ट्स को जीएसटी के दायरे में लाने को लेकर जीसएसटी काउंसिल की तरफ से अभी सुझाव नहीं मिला है. वित्तमंत्री का कहना है कि उचित समय पर इस प्रस्ताव पर विचार किया जाएगा.
Even experts believe that firming of international crude oil rates and extremely high taxes levied on fuel are the key reasons behind the latest round of petrol and diesel price hike in the country. International crude oil price includes the Indian Basket of Crude, which comprises Oman, Dubai and Brent crude.
पेट्रोल और डीजल की बढ़ती कीमतों से केंद्र और राज्य सरकारों की कमाई बढ़ी है लेकिन आम लोगों की जेब कटी है. इसीलिए लोग पेट्रोल-डीजल को GST के दायरे में लाने की चर्चा कर रहे हैं बात दिल्ली की है तो इंडियन ऑयल के मुताबिक एक लीटर पेट्रोल की एक्स फैक्ट्री कीमत यानी बेस प्राइस अगर 31.82 रुपये है को एक लीटर पर केंद्र सरकार 32.90 रुपये का टैक्स वसूल रही है तो राज्य सरकार 20.61 रुपये का एक लीटर पर केंद्र और राज्यों का कुल टैक्स 53.51 रुपये बन जाता है. यानी 32 रुपये के पेट्रोल पर 53.51 रुपये का टैक्स वसूला जाता है.