The government has put off by a month the levy of an additional Rs 2 per litre excise duty on petrol and diesel that is not doped with ethanol and bio-diesel in a bid to give the industry more time to implement the measure.

The finance ministry, in a Gazette notification issued late on Friday (September 30), stated that the additional excise tax will now be levied from November 1. Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had in her Budget for 2022-23 brought a Rs 2 per litre additional levy on petrol and diesel that is not blended with ethanol and biodiesel, respectively.

This duty was to be applicable from October 1, but now has been differed to November 1. In the September 30 notification, the finance ministry stated that “petrol, which is intended for retail sale, not so blended with ethanol or methanol” will attract Rs 3.40 per litre basic excise duty effective November 1, instead of Rs 1.40 a litre currently. Branded petrol, not doped with ethanol, will attract Rs 4.60 a litre excise duty as against Rs 2.60 currently. In the case of diesel, it said the fuel “intended for retail sale, not so blended with alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids obtained from vegetal oils, commonly known as bio-diesels” shall attract Rs 3.80 a litre basic excise duty instead of Rs 1.80. Branded diesel will at-tract Rs 6.20 a litre basic excise levy against Rs 4.20 currently.

Meanwhile, Jet fuel (ATF) price has been slashed by 4.5 per cent and that of commercial LPG used in hotels and restaurants by Rs 25.5 per19-kg cylinder. Jet fuel price was cut by Rs5,521.17, or 4.5 per cent, to Rs115,520.27 per kl in the national capital.

Rates differ from state to state depending on the incidence of local taxes. The price of a 19-kg commercial LPG cylinder was cut to Rs 1,859.50 in the national capital from Rs 1,885, according to a price notification. While commercial LPG rates are revised once a month, ATF prices are changed every fortnight.