Excise Duty Hike – the barbarity inflicted on the people

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions strongly condemns the Modi government’s criminal act of steep hike of excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs.3 per litre. According to a notification issued by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, special excise duty was hiked by Rs 2 to Rs 8 per litre in case of petrol and to Rs 4 a litre in case of diesel. Additionally, road cess was raised by Re 1 per litre each on petrol and diesel to Rs 10.

With this, the total incidence of excise duty on petrol has risen to Rs 22.98 per litre and that on diesel to Rs 18.83.It may be recalled that the tax on petrol was Rs 9.48 per litre and that on diesel was Rs 3.56 a litre when the Modi government took office in 2014. CITU urge the people to understand this barbarity of the present regime towards people.

As the international oil prices are falling to such an unprecedented low, the prices of petrol and diesel should have been reduced at their respective retail outlets. But this government known for its insensitivity to peoples’ suffering who are already experiencing unbearable hardship in the wake of severe economic crisis and cronavirus, has not passed the gains of global falling prices of petrol and diesel to the people. Instead they mopped up Rs.39,000 crore by this hike to off-set its fiscal deficit which has taken a heavy beating due to its pro-corporate largesse.

CITU demands that Central government should rollback the rise of excise duties and urges them to pass on all gains to the people by reducing the prices of all petroleum products accrued due to the falling international oil prices. CITU Calls upon all its affiliates to strongly protest against this heinous crime of Modi regime.

Issued by:
K.Hemalata
President

 

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