KCR demands Union Govt to remove cess on petroleum products

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) demanded that the Union government should remove the cess on the petroleum products and added that BJP has no moral right to ask States to reduce VAT on petrol and diesel, PTI reported.

On Sunday, he slammed the state BJP leaders after they announced protest programmes against the state government for discouraging farmers from going for paddy cultivation this Rabi season. KCR said that it is because the UG is not willing to procure paddy from Telangana.

KCR told reporters that the ruling TRS (Telangana Rashtra Samithi) government had not increased the VAT on petroleum products, and thus the question of reduction does not arise. He said that until cess on petroleum products is withdrawn, the Union Government "would not be allowed to rest". If needed, all MPs, MLAs, MLCs and even the CM will hold dharnas. He alleged that BJP is lying and UG is evading States devolution.

KCR demanded that The Union Government should procure the entire paddy produce from the state. The state BJP leaders should stop making hollow statements and make the UG agree to his demands. He further said that though the international crude oil prices are low at the moment, the Union Government is burdening the commoner with cess that inflates fuel prices. He claimed that global fuel prices never touched USD 105 per barrel after 2014, but the Union Government kept increasing.

The BJP chief in Telangana, B Sanjay Kumar, has said on Saturday that the party would start agitations to ensure the state government also reduces the VAT. He had also demanded that the state government should buy paddy from farmers.

The state government has recently requested that farmers not cultivate paddy as the Union Government is reluctant to buy it.