NAGPUR: The price of petrol and diesel depends on the price of crude oil in the international market and hence, the central government finds it difficult to control the fuel prices. However, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government would take steps to check fuel price rise, said former railway minister
Suresh Prabhu.
BJP has asked all its top leaders to create awareness about the highlights of the recent budget presented by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Prabhu was in the city to discuss it with prominent businessmen, industrialists, chartered accountants, etc
The BJP leader said that the country imported 70% of crude oil it required. “The central government is forced to levy tax on petrol and diesel to fund infrastructure creation, health, education, etc. However, goods and services tax (GST) is not levied on fuel and state governments also levy their own taxes on it. If fuel prices are to be kept in check then central and state governments would have to work together,” he added.
Prabhu stressed that the budget would go a long way in making the country self-reliant. When asked about the fiscal deficit, employment generation, etc, instead of giving a direct answer, he compared India’s situation with that of other countries.
The former minister justified BJP’s plan to privatize public sector undertakings (PSUs) by stressing that the economy was strengthened due to the private sector. “Not allowing the private sector to grow is like hoping that a person would win the race when his feet are tied,” he said.
Prabhu said that in the recent years, private sector has done better than public enterprises. “Private steel plants have manufactured more steel than Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL). Same is the case with power sector,” he added.
When asked to comment on the performance of Uddhav Thackeray led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, the former Shiv Sainik said that if Balasaheb Thackeray was alive he would have answered this question.