AGARTALA, June 21 (TIWN): Both CPI-M and Congress have slammed the BJP Govt for hiking taxes on fuel, cooking gas. Congress leader Gopal Roy said, “BJP Govt must give up the proposed hike on fuel tax and cooking gas. It will kill the economy”. Hitting the BJP Govt on petrol price, Tripura Congress leader Gopal Roy suggested BJP led state govt in Tripura should decrease at least 15 % VAT on petrol. “Right now, 20 % VAT is imposed on petrol and 13.5 % VAT has been imposed upon diesel. So, according to Tripura’s price rate, if 15 % VAT is decreased then only 5 % VAT will stay and 15 rupees will be downed at petrol price”, Gopal Roy said.

“Then in case of diesel, if 15 % is decreased then only 3.5 % VAT will exist. If Govt takes this action for the welfare of common men it will stable the fuel price, then 15 rupees will be reduced in petrol price. In the same manner diesel will be downed at 10 rupees and it will be limited within 60 rupees and petrol price will also down below 70 %”, said Roy.

Birjit Sinha said, Congress will give a full-reaction on the budget on tomorrow via a press conference but said, “It was quite shocking that taxes on fuel price and cooking gas has been hiked majorly. People in Tripura are poor and with more taxes it will damage the economy further as fuel-hike means all items' prices hike. It’s almost like cutting people’s head”, the Congress added.

On the other side,CPI-M Ex-Finance Minister said, “It’s BJP’s trick to hike the commodity prices by increasing fuel prices. Hike in fuel price means hike of all commodities and this is the way BJP is going to generate revenue”.