Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that the suffering of the people due to the increase in fuel prices cannot be alleviated by blaming the state.
The Chief Minister was responding to the criticism made by Prime Minister Kovid at the meeting that Kerala was not reducing the sales tax on petroleum products.
Attempts to make it clear that the responsibility for inflation in the country lies with some states, not the central government, which manages the financial management, should not be allowed in the federal system. It is unfortunate that Kerala is being criticized for never raising fuel taxes.
Since 2014, the Center has increased taxes on petroleum products 14 times and reduced them four times. Even when it is increased fourteen times, the states do not get their share. The Center has increased the surcharges and cess that should not be shared with the states.
In 2014, the duty on petrol was Rs 9.48. The Center has repeatedly increased it to Rs 32.98. Then it was slightly reduced to Rs 27.9. Diesel price has been hiked from Rs 3.56 to Rs 31.83. Eventually it was slightly reduced to Rs 21.8. And then it is not fair to say that when the center cuts a little, so do the states. With the abolition of GST compensation, the state will be in financial trouble. Yet the bulk of social welfare costs must be borne. The Chief Minister said that it was not in the interest of a good ruler for the Prime Minister to make such a statement pretending that he did not see all this.