Pawar flays Fadnavis' demand to cut auto fuel taxes by Maha

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar slammed the Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis on his demand that the state government should reduce taxes on petrol and diesel amid rising prices. Pawar claimed that Fadnavis has made his demand to hide the Centre’s failure to check the spiraling auto fuel prices that has caused severe hardships to the customers.

Pawar was reacting to Fadnavis’s comment that opposition was targeting the BJP led government on the petrol and diesel prices. Fadnavis made a strong case for the state government to cut taxes on auto fuel to provide relief to the customers.

Pawar held the Centre responsible for the higher prices of auto fuel saying that such inflated prices cannot be justified. “Fadnavis wants to hide the Centre’s failure and therefore has made his demand. However, the people of our country know who has powers to revise the auto fuel prices. Don’t be surprised if petrol prices surge to Rs 100 per litre due to lack of Centre’s intervention,” he claimed.

As far as power dues worth Rs 45,000 crore pending with the agriculture consumers, Pawar said the state government has already taken a decision to waive delayed interest of rs 15,000 crore while it will pay Rs 15,000 crore to the MahaVitaran. “Of the total arrears of Rs 45,000 crore, the government has given relief of Rs 30,000 crore and the farmers will have to clear dues worth Rs 15,000 crore. Against this backdrop, BJP’s agitation is mere stunt,” he noted.

“It's up to the celebrities to decide what to tweet. The Constitution has given us the right to express our opinion. We don't need to comment on that. On the contrary, despite such agitation, the central government did not give anything to the farmers in the budget,’’ said Pawar.