Rajasthan: Petrol pumps to remain fully shut from today as govt refuses to blink

JAIPUR: Petrol pumps will remain closed from Friday 6am indefinitely after the state government refused to heed to the ultimatum given by the dealers demanding reduction of VAT on auto fuels.
On Wednesday, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had accused the Centre of levying additional charges and said that it was upto it to reduce the rates, indicating that the state government had no intention to reduce the taxes, the second highest in the country.
In a statement on Friday evening, the Rajasthan Petroleum Dealers Association said that the strike would be complete and indefinite from Friday as the state government had not met their demand on reducing VAT to the levels levied by neighbouring Punjab.
In the first two-day strike on Wednesday and Thursday, petrol pumps were shut down from 6am-6pm. But from Friday, they will be fully closed. “The outlets will be closed completely from Friday. They will neither retail or buy fuel from depots,” said a statement.
Many petrol pumps in areas close to Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Delhi had closed down or were operating in a restricted manner after losing sales to these states where the VAT is lower. Due to high fuel rates, the prices of daily consumable goods had gone up in the state, the association alleged. “The closure of pumps will cause inconvenience to the public. But it’s their fight and also that of dealers. Because of high petrol and diesel prices in the state, the cost of most things have become costlier compared to other states,” said the association. The association claimed that any reduction in taxes had only improved sales and tax revenues in the past.