Huge difference in petrol, diesel prices at two filling stations located few Kms away

Palanpur: There’s a huge difference now in the prices of petrol and diesel in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Due to this huge difference, a number of vehicles in Southern Rajasthan’s interstate border areas chose to come to nearby petrol pumps on the Gujarat side for filling of fuel tanks. 

With reduction in VAT in Gujarat, after the Central government cut excise duty, the price of one liter petrol in Gujarat is Rs. 95.91, against which one liter petrol in Rajasthan is available for Rs. 113.36 per liter.  Imagine how big a saving a car owner will make if he chooses to full his car tank in a nearby petrol pump in Gujarat.

In case of diesel, the price per liter in Rajasthan is Rs. 97.81 while in Gujarat it is Rs. 89.84. Trucks and other commercial vehicles that run mainly through diesel make a saving of around Rs. 8.

Not just Rajasthan, but the vehicles from Delhi and Maharashtra on interstate journeys through Gujarat also would find petrol and diesel in Gujarat much cheaper than their own state and would love to fill in the tanks fully here. 

The prices of petrol and diesel have been consistently lower compared to neighboring Rajasthan and Maharashtra and it is the long time trend that vehicles from border areas of neighboring States across interstate lines and fill in the tanks in Gujarat.  

Rajasthan levies 36% VAT plus Rs. 1500/KL road development cess on petrol and 26% VAT plus Rs. 1750/kl road development cess on diesel.

It’s worth noting that after the Centre cut excise duty and extended great relief on eve of Diwali in petrol, diesel prices, the BJP ruled States have cut Value Added Tax (VAT) on fuel that comes under the State government’s purview. However there are 14 States/UTs which have not undertaken any reduction in VAT in Petrol and Diesel. These are: Maharashtra, NCT of Delhi, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Andaman & Nicobar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chattisgarh, Punjab and Rajasthan.

All of these States are ruled by opposition parties including Congress (Rajasthan, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra among others) and AAP (NCT of Delhi).  Odisha has been the only opposition ruled State that has slashed VAT after Centre’s move. 

BJP’s national spokesperson had yesterday in a press conference in the national capital lashed out at Congress, TMC and AAP for not announcing a cut in fuel prices even as these parties had been criticizing BJP govt at centre over fuel prices. BJP spokesperson said steps taken by PM Modi and emulated by BJP ruled states are not being implemented by other governments. DeshGujarat