"They are offering a mere pittance in relief...": Congress MP Pramod Tiwari on excise duty reduction on petrol, diesel

Speaking to ANI, Tiwari recalled that during the Covid19 pandemic, the centre increased the excise duty on petrol and diesel, underlining that the Covid 19 Tax imposed during the lockdown is in force to date.

"In 2014, when the Congress was in power, the excise duty on petrol stood at Rs 9.48 per litre. Today it is Rs 32.98 per litre. At that time, the duty on diesel was Rs 3.56, and they hiked it to Rs 31.83, approximately Rs 32. The Covid Tax they had imposed has not been reduced either; it was levied during the pandemic, and it remains in force today. In other words, after looting Rs 28 lakh crore, they are now offering a mere pittance in relief. The robbery they were committing; they have merely scaled back that robbery a little," he said.

Earlier today, Congress leader Pawan Khera accused the government of repeatedly increasing excise duties over the years. He claimed that in the past eleven and a half years, excise duty had been raised 12 times, generating massive revenues for the Centre.

"You have increased the excise duty 12 times in the last eleven and a half years. In these last eleven and a half years, you have earned 982 crore rupees every single day from excise duty, and now you come to impose this 'favour' on us?" he remarked.

Drawing a comparison with previous years, Khera noted that in May 2014, when crude oil prices were significantly higher at around $106 per barrel, retail fuel prices were much lower.

"In May 2014, when our government left--when we lost the election--the international price of crude oil was $106 per barrel. At that time, petrol was available for Rs 71.71, and diesel was Rs 56.71. Today, the international price is around $70 per barrel--almost half. But you are selling petrol for Rs 94-95. This is all due to that 'miraculous' excise duty they have imposed on us," he further said.

Meanwhile, as per the government, the excise duty on petrol has been reduced to Rs 3 per litre, while it has been brought down to zero for diesel. Additionally, a windfall tax of Rs 21.5 per litre has been imposed on diesel exports to improve domestic availability. (ANI)