KTR blames Centre for increased fuel prices

By Our Special Correspondent

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP governments have criticized the government for not reducing fuel prices even though the prices of crude oil have fallen drastically in the international market. TRS Working President KT Rama Rao on Wednesday demanded the Center to immediately reduce the prices of petrol.

Rama Rao alleged that the BJP government is not taking any steps to reduce the fuel prices and reduce the burden on the people of the country. KTR said that Modi Sarkar's excuse that international crude oil prices are the reason for the rise in international crude oil prices has been proved wrong once again, and if the price of a barrel of crude oil decreases internationally, it should be good for the people of the country.

However, the Modi government doesn't want that to happen, which is why the BJP government is increasing excise duties and cesses.

Since 2014, the Center has increased fuel prices and stolen more than Rs.26 lakh crore from the people. Rama Rao accused the Modi government of exploiting the common people and serving the corporates. He alleged that because they are too busy for corporate interests, they do not care about the plight of the poor and middle class.

"Prior to coming to power, PM Modi always said that fuel price hike was the failure of the then central government. Will Modi now admit that he has miserably failed to control fuel price hike?" Rao asked.

In 2014, the price of a barrel of crude oil in 2020 was around 110 dollars; Due to covid and lockdown, the price of a barrel of crude oil fell to 11 dollars. However, Rao said the Center has never reduced fuel prices.

KTR said that in the first three years of Prime Minister Modi's tenure, between May 2014 and September 2017, the excise duty on petrol increased by 54 per cent and on diesel by 154 per cent.

The minister said that the states are getting very little revenue due to the increased excise duty by the Centre. He said that the Modi government has increased petrol prices in the form of cesses rather than taxes, with the aim of debilitating the states financially. He said that if the Center lifts the duty on fuel, people will get around Rs 30 per litre.