Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal (Image source: Facebook) 
National

Centre should forego cess to reduce petrol, diesel prices: Kerala Minister

Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal on Wednesday said the inclusion of petroleum products under the GST (goods and services tax) would not help reduce fuel prices and that prices would go down only if the Centre foregoes the cess on petrol and diesel.

migrator

Thiruvananthapuram

To counter the claim that the inclusion of petrol and diesel under the GST would bring fuel prices down, the Minister cited the rising prices of gas, which is already under the GST.

While replying to a call attention motion moved by senior Congress MLA Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan in the State Assembly today, Balagopal blamed the Central government’’s decision in 2014 that allowed oil companies to determine the price of petrol and diesel.

His comments come against the backdrop of petrol and diesel prices touching an all-time high. Balagopal said when the LDF government came to power in 2016, the sales taxes on petrol and diesel were 31.80 per cent and 24.52 per cent respectively. In 2018, the government reduced that tax on them to 30.8 per cent and 22.76 per cent respectively.

Visit news.dtnext.in to explore our interactive epaper!

Download the DT Next app for more exciting features!

Click here for iOS

Click here for Android

Tamil Nadu: Residents seek Krishna canal repairs before monsoon

NASA's newest space telescope launches on quest to explore hidden universe

Death toll reaches 768 in Nepal flash floods

NEET-PG 2026 exams held: Over 2.65 lakh candidates appear, re-exams at two centres on Sep 5

New JK terror tactic: Pornography apps, Tor network used for secret messaging