TDP demands cut in Sales Tax on petroleum products

Hyderabad, Jun 5 (UNI) Ahead of Andhra Pradesh Bandh called by the TDP and other opposition parties tomorrow, TDP Legislature Party Deputy leader N Janardhana Reddy today demanded that the state government reduce sales tax on petroleum products to provide some relief to people, hit hard by the hefty hike in fuel prices announced by the Centre.

Addressing a press conference here, he accused Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy of ''shedding crocodile tears'' for the people by admitting that the hike would indeed affect the poor.

The hike decision, which was kept pending till the byelections in Andhra Pradesh were over, amounted to ''cheating'' the people, he claimed.

''If the Chief Minister is really sincere, he should cut sales tax on petroleum products,'' he demanded.

While the Congress-led UPA Government had hiked the prices of petroleum products nine times after 2004, the Congress Government in the state had failed to fulfil its poll promise to subsidise cooking gas by Rs 100 for members of Women Self-Help Groups, he contended.

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