BJP asks Centre to lower excise duties on petrol products

Jammu, June 10: The Bharatiya Janata Party today asked the Centre to cut down 'fixed exice duty' component of petrol prices from Rs 13 to Rs ten to neutralise the impact of the recent hike in prices of petroleum products.

Party's National Spokesman Prakash Javadekar, addressing mediapersons here said at present retail price of petrol includes 51 percent central and state taxes. Of these taxes, 31 percent are central taxes which of course includes major portion of 'fixed excise duty' of Rs 13 which needs to be brought down to Rs ten.

He said with this exercise, the price of petrol can come down by Rs three.

Mr Javadekar also said the Centre, after lowering the excise duty, should call a meeting of Chief Ministers of states to arrive at consensus on uniform tax structure on petrol prices.

The BJP leader said that instead of doing anything at its own level, the Centre is asking states to take initiatives to cut down the prices of pewtrol.

UNI