Maximum taxation, minimum relief

BRS Working President KT Rama Rao has written a strong letter to Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, demanding the immediate rollback of the hike in the prices of petrol and LPG and accusing the BJP-led Centre of ‘exploiting’ citizens through excessive taxation and cess collections.
“The people trusted your promise of ‘Minimum Government, Maximum Governance’. But all they got was ‘Maximum Taxation, Minimum Relief,” he said in the letter.
In a strongly worded letter dated April 9, KTR expressed anguish over the burden being forced upon common citizens, especially women and the middle class.
“This is not just a formal communication. It is a heartfelt cry from crores of Indians whose pockets are being bled dry while the Centre watches silently,” KTR said, calling the fuel price hike a “cruel and continuous assault.”
Citing comparisons with neighbouring countries, he wrote, “India is one of the most expensive countries in the world for petrol, diesel, and LPG. Fuel is cheaper in Bhutan, Pakistan, and even economically battered Sri Lanka.”
Slamming the Centre for not passing on the benefits of falling crude oil prices, KTR said that while global prices have dropped 41 per cent since May 2014, the Centre has raised excise duties. “When crude falls but duties rise, you’re not fuelling growth, you’re taxing survival,” he said.
KTR also objected to the LPG subsidy claims made by the Centre, pointing out that while the Centre boasts of a Rs 50 reduction, the actual cost of an LPG cylinder has crossed Rs 1,100 for non-beneficiaries and remains unaffordable even for Ujjwala users.