The Shiv Sena led Maha Vikas Aghadi government on Sunday announced that they will reduce the Value Added Tax (VAT) by Rs. 2.08 for Petrol per litre and ₹1.44 for diesel per litre with immediate effect. This comes a day after the Centre’s decision to excise duty on petrol and diesel prices.The Maharashtra government's move comes a day after the Centre reduced the excise duties on petrol and diesel by ₹8 and ₹6 per litre respectively. The reduction in excise duty meant the prices of petrol and diesel dipped by ₹9.5 per litre and ₹7 per litre respectively.
Earlier, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray slammed the Centre on the move by the Modi govt. “The central government had hiked excise duty on petrol by Rs 18.42 per litre two months ago and today it has reduced it by Rs 8. Excise duty on diesel was also increased by Rs 18.24 and has now been reduced by Rs 6,” Uddhav Thackeray said.He added, "It is not right to increase prices at exorbitant rate first and then reduce rates nominally."The chief minister said that the citizens of the country will be truly relieved only if the excise duty is reduced to what it was six or seven years ago, without getting entangled in the web of statistics.