Fuel price hike: TMC to hold protest in West Bengal on weekend

Kolkata, July 06: In a recent development, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has said that it will stage a sit-in protest across West Bengal over the rising fuel prices in the country on July 10 and 11.

TMC leader Partha Chatterjee said, "Sit-in protests will be staged against hike in fuel prices in every block and town of West Bengal on July 10 and July 11, following all COVID protocols."

Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the "cruel hikes" in prices have "brought great distress" to the people, noting the prices of petrol and diesel were "hiked eight times since May", of which six times were in June alone

This comes hours after Banerjee urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday to 'substantially' reduce taxes charged by the Central government on petrol and diesel, and to 'check the overall inflationary trend in the country'.

In a letter addressing PM Modi, CM Mamata Banerjee said, "I am alarmed by the fact that the Government of India is constantly increasing the Cess component of Central tax revenues which results in denying the States its legitimate share of 42 per cent of the tax collected by Government of India, since Cess accrues wholly with the Government of India, without sharing with the States."

"I sincerely urge you to desist from the anti-federalist trend developed in the last few years. It is my earnest request that the taxes charged by the Central Government on petrol and diesel be substantially reduced to give much-needed relief to the common people and also to check the overall inflationary trend in the country today," she said.

CM Mamata Banerjee stated that over the last six years, the BJP-led central government's tax collection from oil and petroleum products has jumped by a staggering 370 per cent since 2014-15 due to constant hikes in Central Excise Duty on oil and petroleum products including cesses and surcharges.

"Over the last six years of your Government, the Government of India's tax collection from oil and petroleum products has jumped by a staggering 370 per cent since 2014-15. due to constant hikes in Central Excise Duty on oil and petroleum products including cesses and surcharges. at the cost of the common people," said the letter.