Karnataka CM says fuel tax could be cut if ‘economic situation seems good’
Bommai defended the price rise, saying that under the UPA government, fuel prices jumped 60 per cent between 2004 and 2014; by contrast, fuel prices have increased by 30 per cent in seven years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rule, he said
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday said his government would consider reducing cess and sales tax on petrol and diesel “if the economic situation seems good”.
The price of petrol has reached ₹109.16 per litre in the state; diesel has also hit triple figures in Bengaluru.
“I have called an economic review meeting,” Bommai said in Hubballi. “If the economic situation seems good, there is all possibility for consideration.”
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The Congress, the main opposition party in Karnataka, has demanded a reduction in taxes on fuel. The Tamil Nadu government recently cut taxes on petrol by ₹3 per litre. The Congress has blamed the ruling BJP government for the hike in fuel prices.
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Bommai defended the price rise, saying that under the UPA government, fuel prices jumped 60 per cent between 2004 and 2014; by contrast, fuel prices have increased by 30 per cent in seven years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rule, he said.
Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah targeted the BJP government, terming inflation during its rule as “criminal loot”.
