Chief minister Mamata Banerjee lashed out at the BJP-led Centre on Monday, holding it responsible for prices skyrocketing on account of galloping fuel prices, on a day the BJP’s Bengal unit hit the streets demanding her government slash taxes levied by it on petrol and diesel.
“The problem is that the prices of petrol, diesel and gas (LPG) have been rising at such a rate… people’s funds are being restricted…. Transactions in the banking sector have gone down. They (the Centre) are closing down (privatising) everything from railways to SAIL to coal. A large number of people will become unemployed,” said Mamata at a state government event in New Town.
“The central government has earned revenue of Rs 4 lakh crore from petrol, diesel and gas… If diesel isn’t there, prices of commodities will shoot up automatically. How will farmers work? They use diesel for agriculture,” she added.
She indicated the Centre is giving extra funds to BJP-ruled states which, therefore, can afford to lower taxes they collect on petrol and diesel.
“They (the Centre)… are giving thousands of crores to the states where they (BJP) are in power. But they don’t give us. They don’t even give us vaccines, forget money…. We also give a concession of a rupee (per litre) on diesel. Where will I get it (the money) from? Still I do (what I can),” she said, adding Bengal has the highest number of welfare schemes in the country.
Mamata’s remarks came in the wake of the BJP’s bid to politicise the issue of the Bengal government not allowing further tax cuts on fuel.
Last Wednesday, the Centre announced an excise duty cut on petrol and diesel by Rs 5 and Rs 10 a litre. Bengal collects 25 per cent tax on petrol and 17 per cent on diesel.
Earlier on Monday, Bengal BJP leaders held a protest rally outside their party headquarters at 6 Muralidhar Sen Lane. The rally, stopped by the police even before it started, was to demand tax cuts on petrol and diesel by the state government.
Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar, his immediate predecessor and Midnapore MP Dilip Ghosh and Nandigram MLA and leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari were all present. BJP workers burnt Mamata’s effigy after the police stopped them from allowing the rally to proceed.
“We will force the state government to reduce the taxes they collect on fuel…. The Yogiji (Adityanath) government in Uttar Pradesh has declared the highest cuts. Why can’t Mamata Banerjee follow him?” Majumdar told journalists.
“Tomorrow (Tuesday), our workers will carry out an awareness campaign in petrol pumps in the city. They won’t disturb work at the pumps, but will inform people how the Centre has reduced excise duties on petrol and diesel and yet this state has not done what it should,” he said, adding that their protests on this issue would continue in over the next few weeks, barring festive days.
He said the BJP would hit the streets, demanding reduction of power tariff in Bengal.
Suvendu, the leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, led a group of BJP MLAs to a demonstration in front of the Assembly.
BJP appeal
A BJP delegation led by Majumdar met the state election commission and asked it to declare the date of polls to all civic bodies in the state simultaneously and assigning a single date for publication of results. This happened after it was reported that the state poll panel was preparing to announce polls to only the Calcutta and Howrah civic corporations next month.
“We will move court, if need be, over this,” he said.
