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Congress demands further reduction in excise duty on petrol, diesel
This comes days after the government reduced ₹5 and ₹10 on the excise duty on petrol and diesel amid spiralling fuel prices
While the government informed that Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection has gone back to pre-pandemic levels, Congress on Saturday demanded a further reduction in the excise duty imposed on petrol and diesel during the pandemic.
“The government has been patting its back, boasting that the GST collection has gone back to the pre-pandemic level. You (government) used Covid as an excuse to increase the excise duty on petrol and diesel. Please reduce the excise duty of ₹13 and ₹19 imposed on petrol and diesel respectively during the pandemic,” said Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said at a press conference on Saturday
This comes days after the government reduced ₹5 and ₹10 on the excise duty on petrol and diesel amid spiralling fuel prices, and urged states to further bring down the rates by reducing Value Added Tax (VAT).
Data available from the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) in the Union Ministry of Finance showed excise duty collections during April-September 2021 surging beyond ₹1.71 lakh crore, from ₹1.28 lakh crore mop-up in the same period of the previous fiscal.
Data available from the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) in the Union Ministry of Finance showed excise duty collections during April-September 2021 surging to over ₹1.71 lakh crore, from ₹1.28 lakh crore mop-up in the same period of the previous fiscal.
The collection is 79% more than ₹95,930 crore mop-up in April-September 2019 due to the steep hike in excise duty.
In light of the new Pentagon report which confirmed China’s incursion into Indian territory, Congress also accused the government of misleading the world in June last year when it gave China a clean chit and demanded an immediate withdrawal of the clean chit.
“It has been 17 months since the Prime Minister gave a clean chit to China. The clean chit is a dark chapter in history because it is being used by China across the world because it came from the Prime Minister of the country whose territories are being transgressed by China,” said Khera.
Citing the new Pentagon report titled ‘Military and Security Development involving the Peoples’ Republic of China’, Khera said that China has “intruded” 4.5 km within Arunachal Pradesh territory and has constructed dual-purpose villages.
He explained “dual-purpose villages” as ones that accommodate not only the civilian population but also act as a cantonment area for the Chinese army.
In June 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that the Chinese neither entered the Indian territory nor took any post.
Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson, Gopal Krishna Agarwal, alleged that Congress always wants to believe in other countries and has no faith in the domestic institutions. “If the Prime Minister has made a statement then they should understand the sanctity of the institution. They are running after international institutions which are contrary to the domestic institution’s reports, this shows that their commitment lies outside India,” he added.
