Srinagar, Nov 5: The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India
(Marxist) Friday said that the cut in central excise duty of Rs 5 per
litre of petrol and Rs 10 per litre of diesel announced by the central
government is only a token reduction and will provide no relief to the
people.
“Since central excise alone amounts to Rs. 33 per litre of petrol and
Rs. 32 per litre of diesel, this is only a marginal cut and this will
not lessen the burden of exorbitant fuel price on the economy and the
people. It is only a knee-jerk reaction to the adverse results of the
by-elections in some states for the BJP,” CPI (M) said in a statement
issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO).
The statement said that the only way that fuel prices can be
maintained at reasonable levels is to effect a substantial cut in
excise duties and do away with the special cess imposed on fuel.
The Polit Bureau appealed to all its units to continue with the
protests against price rise of petrol and diesel as called for by the
October Central Committee meeting.
