‘We’re saving cash for welfare schemes’: Dharmendra Pradhan on excessive gasoline costs

With costs of petrol and diesel climbing steeply, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday agreed that the charges have been an issue, however stated that since authorities bills are up resulting from Covid reduction measures, “the Centre is saving money to spend on welfare schemes”.
“I accept that fuel prices are pinching consumers, there’s no doubt about this. But over Rs 35,000 crore has been been spent on Covid vaccines in a year. Rs 1 lakh crore has been spent on Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Yojana in order to provide eight months’ ration to the poor. A few thousand crores of rupees have also been transferred to farmers’ bank accounts under PM Kisan…In such dire times, we’re saving money to spend on welfare schemes,” Pradhan stated, chatting with the media.

#WATCH | I settle for that present gasoline costs are problematic for folks however be it central/state govt, over Rs 35,000 crores have been being spent on vaccines in a 12 months… In such dire occasions, we’re saving cash to spend on welfare schemes: Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan pic.twitter.com/ugObtQYiB6
— ANI (@ANI) June 13, 2021
With the Centre dealing with fixed flak from the Opposition over gasoline costs, Pradhan requested Congress governments in Rajasthan and Maharashtra to chop gross sales tax if the get together was “that concerned about the burden on the common man”. Asked about Congress chief Rahul Gandhi’s repeated assaults on the Modi authorities, Pradhan stated, “Rahul Gandhi must answer why fuel prices are high in Congress-ruled states like Punjab, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra. If he is so concerned about the poor, he should instruct the Maharashtra CM to reduce taxes, as fuel prices are very high in Mumbai.”

Pradhan, nevertheless, avoided commenting on whether or not BJP-ruled states, like Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka, the place petrol has crossed the Rs-100 mark, would do the identical.
Fuel costs differ from state to state relying on native taxes akin to VAT and the freight costs levied on them. Due to this, petrol at current prices greater than Rs 100 per litre in seven states and Union Territories — Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Ladakh. Of these states, Congress is in energy in Rajasthan and is a coalition companion with Shiv Sena and NCP in Maharashtra. Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka are dominated by the BJP. Ladakh too is beneath central rule. Andhra Pradesh has YSR Congress in energy whereas TRS guidelines in Telangana.