Ahmedabad, Mar 27 (PTI) Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Friday hailed the central government’s decision to slash the excise duty on petrol and diesel, saying the move shows its commitment to protecting citizens from the impact of global instability.
The government has slashed the excise duty on petrol by Rs 10 per litre and exempted diesel fully from the duty, averting a pump price hike that had become necessary because of soaring global oil prices.
In a notification issued on March 26, the Union finance ministry cut excise duty on petrol to Rs 3 a litre, from Rs 13 a litre earlier, while the levy on diesel has been slashed to nil from Rs 10 earlier.
CM Patel said in a post on X, “Today, when crude oil prices have surged significantly at the global level, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has once again demonstrated his sensitivity towards the citizens by prioritizing their welfare above all. The Central Government has made a substantial reduction in excise duty on petrol and diesel, which reflects the PM’s commitment to protecting every Indian from the impact of global instability.” “I express my heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking this public welfare-oriented decision. I also thank Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for implementing this decision promptly,” he added.
Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi said, “Amid the West Asia conflict, while fuel prices in other countries have doubled or shot up to 50%, burdening their citizens, I am grateful to PM Modi for thinking about the common public and reducing excise duty by Rs 10 per litre on both petrol and diesel.” An official release said the central government has reduced excise duty by Rs 10 per litre on both petrol and diesel with immediate effect.
Retail pump prices of petrol and diesel will not change. The excise reduction is not being passed on as a price cut at the pumps, it added. PTI KVM PD NP
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