Live in West Bengal? Your petrol, diesel payments to fall; This is how much you will benefit

As the country reels under the impact of rising fuel prices, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has stepped in to provide relief to the public in her state. She said today that her government will slash the prices of petrol and diesel by one rupee per litre. She accused the BJP-led central government of raising rates by hiking excise duty 9 times, even as global crude prices were falling.
 
Speaking to reporters at the state secretariat in Kolkata, Mamata Banerjee said, "For the time being, we have decided to slash one rupee for each litre of petrol and diesel. We also demand that the central government consider cutting down the cess on diesel and petrol prices." 
 
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami also said today that the state may consider reducing its taxes on petrol and diesel. The ruling AIADMK blamed the central government for the rising fuel prices accusing it of "acting" as if it was unaware of people's problems. 
 
Speaking to reporters in Salem, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister reportedly said the government would consider reducing the state tax on petroleum products even as he put the onus on the Centre. "Only the Centre can reduce. The Centre is only increasing the prices, not the state (government)," the PTI report quoted Palaniswami as saying.
 
Palaniswami's remarks come in the backdrop of some state governments, including those of Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, and West Bengal announcing cuts in state taxes on petrol and diesel.
 
The AIADMK's attack on the Centre comes at a time when the opposition DMK and others have been accusing the ruling party of being subservient to the BJP. 
 
In Punjab, SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal today asked Congress chief Rahul Gandhi to direct his party`s government in Punjab to reduce state taxes on fuel to ensure relief to the common man, as the party organised nationwide protest against rising fuel prices.
 
Claiming that concrete action and not "political tamashas" will help the people, the Shiromani Akali Dal leader reportedly said Punjab was collecting a tax of Rs 23 and Rs 11 per litre respectively on petrol and diesel.
 
Watch this Zee Business video

Meanwhile, a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking the sale of petrol and diesel at reasonable prices instead of letting oil companies increase the rates exorbitantly was filed in the Delhi High Court today.