Mann should reduce state taxes to offset Rs 3 fuel hike: BJP

Chandigarh: Punjab BJP general secretary Anil Sarin on Saturday urged Punjab govt to ensure that the recent increase in fuel prices does not impose any additional financial burden on the people of the state.Addressing a press conference, Sarin said asked the Punjab govt to follow the example of the BJP-led Centre, which he claimed cut fuel taxes by Rs 10 per litre on March 27, 2026, to shield consumers from rising prices. He asked chief minister Bhagwant Mann to reduce state taxes and offset the reported Rs 3-per-litre hike in petrol and diesel prices to prevent hardship for farmers and the public during the sowing season.Sarin claimed that despite global factors such as the Russia-Ukraine war, the Centre kept fuel prices unchanged for over four years till May 14, 2026, while alleging that the AAP-led Punjab govt increased state taxes on petrol and diesel after March 2022, burdening consumers by around Rs 3 per litre.He added that due to the prevailing war-like global situation, crude oil prices rose from around 70 dollars per barrel to nearly 120-130 dollars per barrel. He claimed that fuel prices increased by nearly 50% in the United States, 20% in Europe, 60% in Pakistan and 16% in Bangladesh, while in India the increase was only around 3%.He urged Punjab govt to reduce state taxes on fuel and absorb the additional burden in order to provide relief to the people. MSID:: 131137996 413 |