Assam will cut petrol and diesel prices by Rs 5. This decision comes as fuel prices are on a steady rise across the country. Moreover, the state will also reduce liquor duty by 25 per cent. Both these decisions come ahead of the state assembly election. The new rates will be effective from midnight today.
Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took the assembly floor to announce the new rates. "Speaker sir, at the peak of Covid-19, we had levied an additional cess on petrol, diesel, and liquor. Now, the number of patients has reduced...I am grateful to my cabinet colleagues who agreed to my proposal this morning to rescind this additional cess. Hence, petrol and diesel will become cheaper by Rs 5 per litre with effect from midnight tonight, benefiting lakhs of consumers across Assam," he said.
This decision comes as petrol and diesel prices are on a steady hike. In Guwahati, petrol prices have touched Rs 90 per litre and diesel is priced at Rs 84.29 per litre. One needs to pay Rs 88.14 for a litre for petrol, whereas a litre of diesel costs Rs 78.38 in Delhi. In Mumbai, petrol prices have reached a new high of Rs 94.62 per litre, whereas one needs to pay Rs 85.32 per litre for diesel.
Sarma presented the vote-on-account for an aggregate expenditure of Rs 60,784 crore for the first six months of the current fiscal.
The Assam assembly polls are scheduled for March-April. CM Sarbananda Sonowal-led BJP would look to retain power in the states. In fact, BJP top rung including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently visited the state. PM Modi granted over a lakh of land titles to members of the indigenous communities.
Additionally, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced Rs 3,400 crore for road projects in poll-bound Assam.
Also read: Petrol, diesel prices at all-time high in Delhi, near Rs 100 per litre in this city