Chennai, May 24 (PTI) Wondering why the ruling DMK kept the state imposed Value Added Tax (VAT) higher than the Central government's Excise duty, BJP Tamil Nadu unit chief K Annamalai on Tuesday demanded that the DMK government honour its 2021 poll promise by effecting a cut in the prices of petrol by an additional Rs 2 per litre and Rs 4 per litre for diesel immediately.

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Further, it should announce a subsidy of Rs 100 on cooking gas, he said. The party president claimed that the Centre, realising that people could not pay beyond a reasonable threshold, had reduced the Excise duty on petroleum products for a second time.

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"But, for the first time, the Tamil Nadu government's VAT is higher than the Excise Duty imposed by the Central government," Annamalai claimed and sought to know how there can be revenue loss for the state if the state tax on petroleum products is higher than the Centre's Excise Duty.

Elaborating, he said while the Centre kept the Excise Duty on petrol at Rs 19.90 per litre, the state VAT was Rs 21.56; and for diesel the Excise Duty was Rs 15.80 per litre, while the VAT was Rs 17.76, as on May 22.

He accused the DMK government of not honouring its poll promise and said after coming to power, the DMK government merely reduced Rs 3 on petrol and had not effected one rupee reduction on diesel.

"It had assured to reduce Rs 5 per litre petrol and Rs 4 per litre for diesel. Unlike Tamil Nadu, other states have reduced their taxes on fuel after Centre reduced the Excise Duty. But the DMK government has continued its unjustified activities and held its prestige over the state and its subjects' interests," the BJP president said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)