HYDERABAD: Even as fuel prices continue to burn a hole in the pockets of everyone in Telangana, political parties have limited themselves to blaming one another for the state of affairs. The BJP is clear that any responsibility when it comes to fuel price reduction lies with the TRS government.
“The TRS government failed to reduce VAT on fuel prices as it is steeped in corruption and is unable to mobilise financial resources. Hence it is passing on the financial burden to the people. The highest tax is being implemented in Telangana and people are facing a lot of difficulties,” former MP and BJP national executive committee member G. Vivek Venkatswamy said.
“When the Centre can reduce taxes, the state should reciprocate,” said BJP Nizamabad MP Arvind Darmapuri.
“Unlike in the past, people know who imposes how much tax on fuel. The Modi government has reduced taxes while the KCR government has not,” he said.
The Congress says that the BJP and the TRS governments are treating fuel as a financial resource rather than people's requirement.
"The Centre keeps fuel under the Central excise purview and the state government has failed to reduce VAT. If fuel is brought under GST, it would give relief to the people. There is no change in international crude oil prices, but tax patterns of both the state and the Centre have increased the prices. The BJP government is writing off nonperforming assets (NPA) in lakhs of crores, why not give relief to the cooking gas price,” asked Congress MLC T. Jeevan Reddy.
According to Congress' municipal corporator P. Vijaya Reddy, the TRS which claims to be the saviour of people, should have reduced VAT on petrol and diesel prices to prove its claim.
