Amaravati, Sep 10 (UNI) Giving slight relief to the motor vehicles users and reducing burden on the common man, the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly passed a resolution on Monday reducing the price of petrol and diesel by Rs.2 per litre.
Introducing the resolution in the house, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said the prices of petrol and diesel reached its peak with the 'anti-people' policies of central government for the past four-and-half years.
Extending support to the nation-wide protest against the hike of petrol and diesel,Mr Naidu said that the state government decided to reduce the price of petrol and diesel to reduce burden on common man despite financial crisis in the state.
The Chief Minister condemned the statement of Union Petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan that the petroleum prices increased due to hike of petroleum prices in international market and increase in VAT by state governments. He flayed that the statement is far from truth and aimed to mislead people.
He said that the crude oil price per barrel stands at 105.52 dollars during 2013-14 was reduced to 46 dollars during 2015-16 and stands at 72.23 dolars at present. The petrol price per litre during 2014 stands a Rs.49.60 against Rs.86.71 at present.
Likewise the diesel price stands at Rs.62.98 per litre during 2014 against Rs.79.98 at present. He alleged that the central government failed to reduce the price of petrol and diesel despite of fall in price of crude oil in international market.
The Chief Minister said that the excise duty on diesel per litre stands at Rs.3.56 during 2014 was increased to Rs.17.33 by September 2017. The excise duty on petrol per litre stands at 9.48 during 2014 against Rs.19.48 in 2018. In addition the central government imposed addition burden of Rs.7 on petrol and Rs.8 on diesel in the name of infrastructure.
Mr Naidu said that the union government collected Rs.10 lakh crore for the past four-and-half years in the name of excise duty by imposing burden on common man. He said the increase in petrol and diesel would lead to increase of prices of essential commodities.
The Chief Minister demanded the central government to reduce the petrol and diesel prices immediately to protect the interests of common man.
UNI DP CS 1848