Announcing the same, Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adhia took to Twitter and said, “The excise cut on petrol diesel announced by FM today will become effective from midnight of today. We urge States also to announce their cut in VAT with effect from 12 midnight today, if possible, so that the consumers get full benefit of the reduction immediately,”
From Friday, petrol will cost Rs 81.51 a litre in national capital while diesel prices have been reduced to Rs 72.95 per litre. While states such as Bihar,
Odisha and Punjab is yet to take a decision on VAT deduction, Opposition ruled states including West Bengal and Delhi demanded a deduction of Rs 10 per litre in fuel prices. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter and criticised the Central government over its decision of Rs 2.5 deduction in fuel prices. “Modi government had hiked excise duty by Rs 10 and reduced it by only Rs 2.50 today. This is cheating. The Centre should reduce excise by Rs 10,” Kejriwal said in a tweet.
However, indirectly replying to Opposition, Jaitley during the press conference conducted on Thursday said that it will be a test for those states whose leaders were only tweeting and indulging in lip sympathy. “What will they do now and last time also only BJP and NDA-led state governments reduced VAT. This time if other state governments do not do it then people will ask them.” After this major announcement, fuel prices in all major cities have dropped down. Petrol in Mumbai will now be available at Rs 86.34 per litre while in Ahmedabad, it will be available for Rs 78.21 per litre.