Tax row between Telangana and AP affects petrol supply in Telangana districts
Hyderabad: A row over imposition of taxes between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states has resulted in shortage of petrol and diesel in some Telangana districts. Nalgonda, Mahbubnagar, Khammam and Karimnagar have been facing acute shortage of petrol and diesel for the last three days, hitting commuters hard.
The AP government has been demanding taxes for fuel coming from Vizag and Vijayawada to Telangana districts at toll gates of inter-state borders. The Oil Marketing Companies have four fuel storage points at Charlapally, Ramagundam, Suryapet and Guntakal. However, the fuel has to be transported from Visakha-patnam via Vijayawada.
These four points used to cater to the fuel needs of Telangana in the united state. However, with the bifurcation of the state, supplies from Vizag and Vijayawada to Telangana districts have been disrupted with the officials at toll gates of inter-state borders asking for payment of tax.
However, there is no clarity over who has to pay the tax, whether the OMCs or the dealers. While the OMCs state that dealers have to pay the tax, the latter state that they have received no instructions to this effect from either of the state governments.
Officials of the Civil Supplies department say that whoever pays tax, it would be ultimately passed on to consumers, making fuel costlier in Telangana than AP.
Meanwhile lack of clarity on the issue disrupted fuel supplies leading to depleting reserves at the four stock points. The situation is worse at Guntakal and Suryapet stock points resulting in acute shortage of fuel in some parts of Mahbubnagar, Nalgonda, Khammam and Karimnagar districts.
Telangana chief secretary Dr Rajiv Sharma also held a meeting with the OMCs officials at Secretariat on Saturday to resolve the issue. He asked them to sort out the tax issues soon by approaching the Union Petroleum ministry and the AP government.
The OMCs informed that with the bifurcation of state, the jurisdiction of four stock points was modified which had led to temporary disruption of supplies which would be resolved soon.
