High oil prices due to situation in Syria & US sanctions threat on Iran: Petroleum minister
Dharmendra Pradhan
Petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan had said earlier that the GST Council should in the "interest of energy security and consumers" include petroleum products in GST.
As petrol prices shot to a new high, petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan said it was due to the situation in Syria and US threat of imposing sanctions on Iran.
Petrol prices touched 74.08 per litre in Delhi on Friday at a 5-year high. It rose similarly in other metros - Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai.
In Kolkata oil prices rose to Rs 76.78 a litre, Mumbai it was Rs 81.93 and in Chennai it surgedto Rs 76.85 a litre.
Former finance minister P Chidambaram attacked the central government in a series of tweets saying it was due to 'tax the consumer' policy of the government.
The Congress leader said: "For the last four years, the BJP government has lived off an oil bonanza. Minus the oil bonanza, the BJP government is clueless and floundering."
"Crude oil price at $ 74 per barrel is still lower than $ 105 four years ago. So, why are petrol/diesel prices higher today than they were in May 2014," he asked in his tweet.
"Then, why does the BJP government refuse to bring petroleum and petroleum products under GST?"
Petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan had said earlier that the GST Council should in the "interest of energy security and consumers" include petroleum products in GST.
Petrol, diesel, natural gas, crude oil and jet fuel (ATF) are currently not included in the GST.