Bhopal: Former Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Tuesday urged the state government to immediately reduce taxes on petrol and diesel, stating that the people of Madhya Pradesh should not have to bear the burden of the country's most expensive fuel. He highlighted that residents in the state pay over Rs 30 per litre in taxes on petrol and more than Rs 20 per litre on diesel.
Congress Leaders Demand Relief
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Congress veteran demanded that the Mohan Yadav-led government reduce fuel prices by Rs 10 per litre. Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar called for a relief of Rs 12 to Rs 15 per litre of fuel. Singhar remarked, "Bhopal is among the most expensive cities in the country for petrol. Petrol in Delhi costs approximately Rs 98.67 per litre, while the same petrol in Bhopal is being sold for Rs 110.70 per litre. This means that the people of Madhya Pradesh are paying approximately Rs 12 more per litre than in Delhi."
Kamal Nath's Statement on Price Hike
Kamal Nath said, "Petrol and diesel prices have been hiked again within a week. Fuel has become costlier by 90 paise per litre since Tuesday. The government is citing international reasons for the increase in petroleum prices. However, the truth is that for the people of Madhya Pradesh, state government taxes are the biggest reason for the price hike, rather than external factors. In Madhya Pradesh, the price of petrol is on average Rs 13 and diesel is Rs 4 per litre higher than in Uttar Pradesh."
He elaborated on the tax structure, stating that the Mohan Yadav government charges 29% VAT plus Rs 2.5 plus 1% cess on petrol, while on diesel, it charges 19% VAT plus Rs 1.5 plus 1% cess. "People of Madhya Pradesh are paying more than Rs 30 on petrol and Rs 20 on diesel as taxes to the state government. This tax has no connection with international conditions," Kamal Nath said.
Current Fuel Prices Across Cities
As a result of these taxes, a litre of petrol in Bhopal costs Rs 110.75 and diesel Rs 95.91. The new rates for petrol per litre in Indore and Jabalpur stand at Rs 110.79, in Gwalior at Rs 110.69, and in Ujjain at Rs 111.27. Diesel is available in Ujjain for Rs 96.40, in Bhopal for Rs 95.91, in Indore for Rs 95.97, in Jabalpur for Rs 95.98, and in Gwalior for Rs 95.86, the former Union minister for commerce added.
