Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru/Kalaburagi (MS)

Update

Kalaburagi, Sep 17: Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Monday announced announced that his government is reducing the prices of petrol and diesel by Rs 2. The decision comes at a time when the Centre is under attack from all quarters as the fuel prices are on an upward march.

Karnataka has intervened to lower duties on fuel prices after Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, and West Bengal.

"Everyday fuel prices are increasing, people of Karnataka felt that the state government can reduced the prices of fuel by reducing the taxes, I want to announce from Kalburgi that the coalition government has decided to cut down the taxes for petrol and diesel minimum by Rs 2. I hope this step taken by our coalition government will give some relief to the people of Karnataka," H D Kumarasamy said in Kalaburagi.

Earlier this month, 22 opposition parties, led by the Congress, held a nationwide strike or 'Bharat Bandh' to protest the rising fuel prices and falling rupee.

Earlier update

As there are no signs of reduction in the diesel and petrol prices in the country, the state government has taken a step forward to reduce the price by Rs two to Rs two and fifty paise per liter by reducing the state cess on the commodity, thereby giving some sort of relief to the vehicle users in the state of Karnataka.

As per sources, chief minister (CM) H D Kumaraswamy has asked the concerned authorities to prepare a proposal in this regard. Accordingly, it is learnt, that the officials of the finance department have discussed about reducing the price of the fuel and they are going to hold one more round of talks with the CM and are going to release the order for the same.

Kumaraswamy, who had a meeting with the finance department officials, had asked them to investigate whether it is possible to reduce the price by Rs three to four per liter. However, the officials have expressed their concern and informed the CM that reducing the state cess by Rs three to four will have a bad impact on the financial condition of the state and directed the CM to take back the two percent cess that was increased in the budget for loan waiver.

It is learnt that keeping in mind the financial burden the state will have to bear due to the loan waiver scheme and the relief for victims of deluge and rehabilitation of them and also manage the healthiness of the state treasury, the financial department has temporarily agreed to reduce the diesel and petrol prices by Rs two to Rs two and fifty paise and the order to this effect will be released soon.