Kolkata: Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee wrote to PM Narendra Modi on Monday, urging him to reduce gasoline and diesel taxes to check inflation and provide assistance to people.
The collection of central tax from oil and petroleum products has “jumped 370% since 2014-’15” because of the increase in assignments, CESS and additional costs on the “ordinary people” cost, the Banerjee letter said.
Even in the middle of Covid, he added, the center collected revenue Rs 3.7 lakh crore in the 2020-’21 fiscal year only from oil and petroleum products.
“I have learned that the price of gasoline and diesel is stopped by your government eight times since May 4, 2021,” Banerjee wrote, added that June just saw six increases.
Four increases, “surprisingly”, came in one week, said the letter, added that “The Cruel Hikes” had influenced ordinary people and “immediately impact on the dangerous inflation rate”.
The wholesale price index rose 12.9% on May 2021 (compared to May 2020), said Banerjee; Consumer price index rose 6.3%, edible oil prices rose 30.8%, egg price of 15.2%, fruits with 12% and health goods prices – even in the middle of a pandemic – up by 8.4% , “I express my deep worries and simplicity for policies that have resulted in significant difficulties for these ordinary people,” he wrote, reminded Modi that the government volunteered voluntarily reduced the components of the state sales tax on oil and petroleum respectively this February as “Our empathy tokens for lay people”.
This center “constantly increases the CESS component of Central Tax Revenue”, said Banerjee, adding that this CESS is increasing entirely to the center.
Trinamool Congress on Monday announced a two-day campaign on 10 and 11 July “in each block and city” to protest the increase in fuel prices.
Secretary of the Party General Partha Chatterjee said the protest would be in accordance with all Covid protocols.
“I’ve never seen this (type of increase) in my life.
The price of LPG too, is Skyhigh.
It affects every aspect of life and the kitchen is burning,” he said.
The Trinamool Youth Congress has announced protests in the district, several starting from Tuesday, which will continue until Friday.