Fuel price hike: Mamata Banerjee urges Centre to temporarily stop levying toll-tax

Amid the continual trend of fuel price hikes, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday urged the Centre to temporarily do away with toll tax and extend the GST deadline for another five years.

"The rise in fuel prices is affecting the lives of people. I request the Centre to control the fuel prices and temporarily stop collecting toll-tax. I also request the central government for the extension of GST time limit for another five years," said the Chief Minister.

Earlier on Monday, Banerjee had said India's economic condition is even worse than the neighbouring island nation.

Attacking the Centre over the fuel price hike, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo had said the central government should discuss the "economic crisis" in the country with all political parties instead of using the central agencies against the States.

"Sri Lanka's economic condition is bad but India's condition is worse than Sri Lanka's. Fuel prices have been hiked here. The Central government should call all political parties to discuss the economic crisis in our country rather than using Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (against States)," she had said.

With another hike of Rs 2.5 per kilogram on Thursday, the price of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) has zoomed by Rs 9.10 per kg in the last six days.

Notably, the CNG prices were increased by the same amount on Wednesday also. With today's hike, CNG in Delhi would now cost Rs 69.11 per kg.

Meanwhile, after a hike of Rs 10 in the price of petrol and diesel over the last 16 days, the fuel rates were not increased on Thursday.Petrol in the national capital crossed the Rs 105 mark yesterday, whereas, in Mumbai, it has surpassed Rs 120.

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday defended the Central government over the issue of fuel price hike, comparing it with that of other countries, saying that India has merely seen a change of "only five per cent".

"Fuel prices hiked in India are 1/10th of the change of prices in other countries. Comparing gasoline (petrol) prices between April 2021 and March 2022, the prices in the United States of America (USA) have increased by 51 per cent, Canada by 52 per cent, Germany by 55 per cent, the United Kingdom (UK) by 55 per cent, France by 50 per cent, Spain 58 per cent but in India only 5 per cent," Puri told Lok Sabha.

However, the Opposition has been stepping up pressure on the government with demand for the rollback of the fuel price hike.

( With inputs from ANI )