#DPCC president Shri Ajay Maken collect over 10 lakh signatures from consumers at the end of the third day of the signature campaign to protest
Delhi Congress workers, under the leadership of DPCC president Shri Ajay Maken, collect over 10 lakh signatures from consumers at the end of the third day of the signature campaign to protest against the increase in excise duty and VAT on petrol and diesel. The over 10 lakh signatures would be submitted to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Delhi Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal
Ø The Central Government hiked the excise duty on petrol and diesel several times while the Delhi Government increased VAT. The VAT, which was 12.5 per cent for diesel in 2013, went upto 18 per cent in January 2016. Similarly, VAT on petrol which was 20 per cent in 2013, rose to 27 per cent in January 2016.
Ø Due to sharp fall in the prices of crude oil in the international market, the prices of petrol and diesel should not be more than Rs 38 and Rs 30 respectively per litre in Delhi.
NEW DELHI, June 8—Congress workers, under the leadership of Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Shri Ajay Maken, collected over 10 lakh signatures from consumers outside nearly 300 petrol pumps in Delhi today, at the end of the third day, to protest against the huge hike in the prices of petrol and diesel. The prices of petrol and diesel have shot up as a result of the periodic hikes in excise duty and VAT, for which the Modi Government at the Centre and the Kejriwal Government in Delhi are responsible.
Shri Ajay Maken joined the Congress workers outside various petrol pumps across the Capital in their signature campaign, as consumers at the petrol pumps hailed the Congress campaign against price rise of petrol and diesel. Shri Maken said people were fed up with the soaring prices of petrol and diesel as it was having a cascading effect on the prices of other essential commodities.
Shri Maken said with the crude oil prices in the international market plummeting to as low as $58 per barrel, petrol and diesel could be soled in Delhi for Rs 38 and 30 respectively if the excise duty and VAT are rolled back. He said the “Modi + Kejriwal Tax” has pushed up the prices of petrol and diesel, and people are bearing the brunt by paying a high price for petrol and diesel.
Shri Maken said the over 10 lakh signatures would be presented to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Delhi Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal, and request them to roll back the price hike in petrol and diesel.
Shri Maken said that for Rs 100 worth of petrol, people are being forced to pay Rs 54 to the Central and Delhi Governments as taxes, despite the crude oil price slumping to $58 per barrell in the international market. Shri Maken said when Congress was in power, and the price of crude oil in the international market was $108 per barrell, consumers had to pay just Rs 31 in taxes for Rs 100 worth of petrol.
Shri Maken said people were being needlessly burdened by the thoughtless actions of the Modi and Kejriwal Governments, as they seem to have little time to spare to address the pressing problems of the people, as they are always at loggerheads, trading charges and clashing against each other.
