The petrol and diesel prices are likely to go up in Karnataka as the Congress-led state government revised sales tax by 29.84 per cent and 18.44 per cent. According to the Petroleum Dealers Association, petrol and diesel prices are likely to go up by Rs 3 and Rs 3.05 approximately in Karnataka.
In a notification issued by the Finance Department, the government has hiked sales tax on petrol by 3.92 percentage points, from 25.92 to 29.84 per cent. On diesel, the hike is 4.1 percentage points, from 14.34 to 18.44 per cent. This notification shall come into force with immediate effect, it said.
The decision comes days after the Lok Sabha poll results, in which NDA got 19 out of 28 seats in Karnataka, with BJP winning 17 and JD(S) with 2. The ruling Congress in the state has won nine seats.
The move, aimed at resource mobilisation, comes after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is also the finance minister, reviewed the state’s revenue generation and fiscal position.
During the meeting, the CM asked officials to work harder towards meeting revenue collection targets.
BJP reacts
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, “The true face of Congress party has been exposed…Congress party says that there is inflation in the country and then Congress party and its own state governments raise the petrol & diesel prices. In Karnataka, they have passed an anti-farmer, anti-common man order, a fatwa, a jizyah tax and they have increased the petrol and diesel prices by Rs 3 and Rs 3.05. This is to break common man’s tax. This is because they have bankrupted Karnataka because of their schemes…Today, one thing is very clear that the Congress party only wants to loot and take away the money of the common man. Because of their crack pot policies, these kinds of taxes are being imposed and they must tell us that why is it that Rahul Gandhi who said khata khat khata khat Rs 1 Lakh will be deposited into the accounts, will they now deposit the money in the bank accounts of women in Karnataka and Himachal?…”
