Two days after petrol pump dealers called off their strike in assurance over price cut, Rajasthan government has decided a 2% cut down of VAT rates in petrol and diesel prices in the state – a promise which BJP has done in the manifesto. This will bring down the petrol prices by ₹1.4 to ₹5.3 per litre and by ₹1.34 to ₹4.85 per litre in the prevailing diesel prices. The new rates will be applicable from tomorrow morning at 6.
The decision was taken in the cabinet meeting ahead of Lok Sabha elections. The chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma said that the government is looking to fix a uniform price for diesel and petrol across the state. This will put a financial burden of ₹1500 a year on the exchequer.
Rajasthan charges 31.04% VAT and ₹1,500 per kilolitre road development cess on petrol, and 19.30% VAT and ₹ 1,750 per kilolitre road development cess on diesel.
“The cut down in the price is variable. Where there is higher prevailing rates of diesel and petrol prices, there will be higher cut while the cut will be lower where the prices are already lesser in comparison to other places,” Bhajan Lal Sharma said.
The petrol is available in Jaipur at ₹ 108.48 per litre while the price of diesel is ₹93.72 a litres. The price of petrol is highest in Sri Ganganagar where it is available at ₹113.39 a litres. So the maximum cut of ₹5.3 a litres will happen. In SriGanganagar. The diesel prices there is ₹98.15 a litre. So a change of ₹4.85 a litre will be visible there from tomorrow.
Cut in petrol prices may translate into votes
This is a long pending demand of consumers and petro pump owners. In October last years also, petrol pump dealers had gone on strike for two days. But Congress government didn't cut prices even after giving assurances and forming a committee to look into the price. The BJP has included price cut in the manifesto and in Modikiguarantee. Now the price cut in petro-diesel is likely to be translated in votes during Lok Sabha elections.
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