Sonia asks Cong-ruled states to cut ST on oil products

New Delhi, June 5 (UNI) Congress president and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi today asked the Chief Ministers of her party-ruled states to provide a cushion effect to the common man from the fuel price hike by effecting a cut in sales tax on petroleum products.

Some of the states like Congress-ruled Maharashtra and Left-ruled Kerala had already announced their willingness to cut the sales tax.

But no state had come forward to effect a cut in Value Added Tax (VAT).

AICC Spokesman Manish Tewari yesterday asked all the states to reduce sales tax and VAT on petrol and diesel.

The Manmohan Singh government yesterday increased the price of petrol by Rs 5 per litre, diesel by Rs 3 per litre and cooking gas by Rs 50 per cylinder in order to bail out the bleeding oil marketing companies in the wake of near record-high international crude oil prices.

The hike on fuel prices effected was the biggest increase in 12 years.

UNI SH PK BD1507