Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Thursday, stated that the Modi-led Central government must reduce the prices of petrol, diesel and domestic gas immediately to provide relief to the common man. She also claimed that the rates would be raised further so the Prime Minister was trying to shy away from taking responsibility and attributing the price hike to the states.
"The price of domestic gas should be reduced by at least Rs 300 immediately. Petrol and diesel prices should also be slashed. When the price had reduced globally, the Centre had not cut down the rate. The funds they have collected have been kept on reserve so that it can be used for party (BJP) programmes," Banerjee alleged.
She added that the Centre had earned a total revenue worth over Rs 17.31 lakh crore through taxes on petrol and diesel.
"The prices were hiked at least 14 times, and the Centre has continued to deprive the state of its dues," the Chief Minister said.
When asked whether the chief ministers of non-BJP ruled states will unite to write to the Centre on this issue, Banerjee said that they (Centre) do not respond to such letters so it will be a futile exercise.
"There was actually no Covid agenda in Wednesday's meeting, the agenda was to shy away from the responsibility of keeping petrol, diesel prices under control," she added.
Banerjee had earlier stated that her government spent Rs 1,500 crore in the last three years to subsidise petrol and diesel prices in Bengal.
"We are taking only 25 per cent tax and you still want us to reduce our share, how will the states function. In fact, the total revenue that the Central government had earned till September 2021 from 2014, when it had assumed office for the first time, was over Rs 17.31 lakh crore through taxes on petrol and diesel only. This figure would be much higher if the amount collected from tax on cooking gas is taken into consideration," she had said.
Banerjee had also slammed the Prime Minister for collecting cess from the states in sectors like education, industry, road, agriculture etc without giving a single penny in this connection to the state.
Banerjee who is leaving for New Delhi on April 29 to attend a conclave on April 30 in the presence of Chief Justice of India N V Ramana, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, high court judges and CMs from other states said that she would not seek the Prime Minister's appointment during her visit as she would be returning on April 30 itself for certain preoccupations in Bengal.