HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, June 6: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday defended the increased petrol and diesel prices which were hiked one day after the results of the Lok Sabha poll were announced.
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Sarma asserted that fuel and diesel costs in Assam are at least Rs 7 less per litre than those of opposition-ruled states like West Bengal.
Effective from June 6, the Assam government raised the Value Added Tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel, resulting in a rise of Rs 1.01 per litre for petrol and Rs 1.02 per litre for diesel.
Following this, people voiced their disapproval at fuel pumps on the increase in the price of petrol and diesel. However, CM Sarma justified the state government’s decision, claiming that Assam had significantly lower prices than other states.
“We brought down the price of petrol and diesel by Rs 3 per litre prior to the Lok Sabha elections. However, we were forced to raise the costs by Rs 1 because of the flood and other state-wide issues,” Sarma added.
According to him, despite this small hike, in comparison to Assam, Mamata Banerjee’s West Bengal has far higher prices of petrol and diesel.
“Anyone who compares the cost of petrol and diesel in Assam and Bengal will find that the prices in Assam are cheaper by more than 7 rupees compared to West Bengal,” Sarma stated.
