Centre took away Rs 30,000 crore collected through cess levied on fuel in Maharashtra, says Nana Patole

Nana Patole. File Pic

The Maharashtra Congress alleged that the Centre had taken away Rs 30,000 crore from the state government collected through cess levied on fuel in the last seven months.

Speaking to reporters, state Congress chief Nana Patole said the Union government has imposed cess in various forms on fuel, which came up to Rs 30,000 crore between April 1 and October 31. "The Union government had given its first blow to the Maharashtra government by holding back GST rebate for months. To worsen the financial crisis, the Centre levied cess in various forms on fuel. It has used various legal means and administrative loopholes to minimise the state government's earnings from the sale of petrol and diesel in the state," Patole claimed.

The Congress leader further alleged that the Centre had introduced cuts in excise duty on petrol and diesel only after it received a setback in the by-polls. The Maharashtra Congress has already communicated its demand to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray about exploring ways to introduce some cuts in fuel prices in the state, Patole said.

The Congress-led Rajasthan government has introduced similar cuts in value added tax (VAT) already, he said. "As the chief minister is recuperating from his surgery, we will wait for a few days. We will meet him personally and inform him about our demand," the Congress leader added.

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