Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha has come down heavily on the previous YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government, blaming their tax policies for the soaring fuel prices in the state.
The Home Minister took to social media to allege that the additional cess and Value Added Tax (VAT) imposed by the YSRCP government between 2019 and 2024 have resulted in a significant increase in the burden on consumers, with petrol prices rising by ₹8.59 per litre and diesel prices by ₹6.48 per litre.
Financial Constraints
Ms. Anitha claimed that the present coalition government is facing difficulties in rolling back these levies due to the financial constraints inherited from the previous regime. She also highlighted the contrast between the YSRCP government’s actions and those of the previous Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government, which had reduced petrol prices by ₹2 per litre in 2019 to provide relief to consumers.
The Home Minister went on to list the various tax increases imposed by the YSRCP government, including a ₹2.76 per litre increase in VAT on petrol and a ₹3.07 per litre increase in VAT on diesel in February 2020. This was followed by a further increase of ₹4 per litre in VAT on both fuels in July 2020, and the imposition of an additional road development cess of ₹1 per litre in September 2020.
Criticism of YSRCP
Ms. Anitha also criticized the YSRCP government for not reducing fuel prices during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite suggestions from the Centre. She pointed out that several other states had reduced fuel prices by up to ₹10 per litre during this period.
According to the Home Minister, petrol prices rose by nearly ₹40 per litre and diesel prices by about ₹30 per litre within two years of the YSRCP assuming office in 2019. She maintained that the present coalition government had not imposed any fresh taxes on fuel, despite facing severe financial stress.
Recent Price Hike
The Home Minister further stated that the recent increase in fuel prices by ₹3 per litre was due to the impact of the West Asia conflict on global crude oil prices, and was a decision taken by the Centre.
- Petrol prices rose by ₹8.59 per litre due to YSRCP’s tax policies
- Diesel prices rose by ₹6.48 per litre due to YSRCP’s tax policies
- Present coalition government facing financial constraints in rolling back taxes
- YSRCP government criticized for not reducing fuel prices during COVID-19 pandemic
Source: Original Article
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