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Maharashtra unlikely to be able to cut taxes on fuel: Ajit Pawar
Pawar said that taxes are the only source of income for the state and that cyclones, unseasonal rain and the pandemic have already added to the burden on state finances. He also took a dig at the BJP, the opposition party in the state, saying that it makes demands that put the state in trouble
While the Union government has slashed taxes on petrol and diesel, deputy chief minister and finance minister of Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar, expressed hesitation to cut down state taxes to bring down fuel prices further.
After performing the Kartiki Ekadashi puja in Pandharpur, Ajit Pawar said that taxes are the only source of income for the state and that cyclones, unseasonal rain and the pandemic have already added to the burden on state finances. He also took a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the opposition party in the state, saying that it makes demands that put the state government in trouble.
“The state doesn’t have any other source of income apart from taxes. On a daily basis, we spend Rs450 crore on salaries and pensions. It can’t be avoided and it has to be done. Some things we cannot stop and expenses have to be incurred. In addition to this, a lot of funds had to be provided for rehabilitation work after calamities such as cyclones and unseasonal rain. We have also provided farmers a package of ₹10,000 crore. The climate is changing and it has created many problems. We have to pave our way through various difficulties,” Ajit Pawar said while interacting with reporters in Pandharpur.
Following the Union government’s slashing of taxes on petrol and diesel which resulted in reduction in record high prices of fuel, the state unit of the BJP demanded that the Maharashtra government, too, cut taxes on fuel to provide relief to the common people. Nana Patole, a Congress leader and ally in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, too, made a similar demand.
“Be it any government - state or Centre – it has to run the show depending upon funds collected from taxes. The Centre at least has the option to print currency. The state does not have that option. The opposition party in Maharashtra demands such things so that the state government is in trouble,” Ajit Pawar said.
However, Ajit Pawar added that a middle way will have to be found to provide relief to people while not allowing the state’s income to dwindle. “The assembly session is coming up. We will see how a midway can be found to provide relief to common people while not letting the state resources get affected. We will gather information on how fuel prices have reduced in other states from Kashmir to Kerala,” he said.
