Protests are raging in social media against the increase in fuel prices due to the introduction of social welfare cess in the state budget and the protest is getting stronger. With this, Pinarayi Vijayan’s previous Facebook posts are being protested. The Chief Minister’s post on Facebook on April 30, 2015 has now been widely circulated.
In this post, Pinarayi argues that the increase in petrol and diesel prices is not a sign of good days. He also asserts that this is making people’s lives difficult. Now, after eight years, the same post has again been thrust into the background of price hike in Kerala.
Pinarayi vijayan’s facebook post goes like this : “Is the increase in petrol and diesel prices a sign of better days? Unfair price hike is a convincing answer for those who doubt what is the similarity between the second UPA government and the Modi government. This action is literally making people’s lives miserable.”
Screenshots of this post are widely circulating in cyberspace. Compared to what Pinarayi said earlier, the question raised by netizens is whether the current increase in petrol and diesel prices is a sign of good days. Some point out that this is a double standard. Apart from petrol and diesel, the government has also increased the price of alcohol. The fair price of the land was also raised. At the same time, Finance Minister KN Balagopal came forward to justify the increase in taxes in the state budget presented in the assembly.
Minister Balagopal clarified that only petrol and alcohol can be taxed. By implementing liquor cess, an average of Rs 10 per bottle will increase. Liquor worth Rs 1,000 will be increased by Rs 20 per bottle. Not every year is collected like this. The Finance Minister also justified the increase in the fair value of the land. Nothing could be done for the last five years due to floods and covid. In many places it is not even a third of the real price. The Minister said that the change in the fair price is only after 2010.
The budget was presented at a time of great difficulty and without any deficit. The existing tax is the same for big malls and general public. Minister Balagopal pointed out in the press conference that the change was made in that.
With the announcement of the state budget, it was stated that the price of petrol and diesel in Kerala will increase by two rupees. With the increase of cess by two rupees, the stage was set for the increase in fuel prices in the state. The companies did not change the oil prices in the country for months. Meanwhile, the state government has raised the cess and set the stage for price hike.
Earlier, the central government had reduced fuel prices by some tax. The central government had demanded that the state should reduce taxes in pro-portion to the reduction in taxes. However, even then Kerala did not reduce taxes significantly. The central government has brought a slight reduction in the fuel tax after a series of tax hikes. The state government is targeting an additional revenue of Rs 780 crore by increasing the petrol-diesel cess. One-time tax on vehicles has also been increased.
