Archives for February 2021

In Uttarakhand, too, people are flocking to Nepal to get fuel tanks of their vehicles filled as prices in the country are increasing every day.

PATNA/DEHRADUN: Large-scale smuggling of petrol and diesel has been reported from the Nepal border forcing Nepalese authorities to cap fuel supply. Any vehicle from India in border areas will now be allowed to get only 100 litres of petrol or diesel.

In north Bihar, demand for petrol from local peddlers has shot up in the wake of a steep rise in fuel prices in India. Mohan Kumar (name changed), a resident of Motihari, said he makes at least five trips a day to and from Nepal via Raxaul on his motorbike to fetch petrol from a station bordering the Nepalese district of Parsa.

“Per trip, we bring 5 litres of petrol from Nepal at 113 per litre, which is equal to Rs 70.79 in Indian currency, and sell it for Rs 90-95 on the Indian side,” he said. Dozens of locals owning two and four wheelers are engaged in petrol-peddling.

Shayam Kumar (name changed), a bike mechanic from East Champaran, says he dispatches four of his men — two from Nepal — to fetch petrol thrice daily. “Fuel smuggling is as lucrative as liquor smuggling into dry Bihar. Since there is no legal restriction on refueling Indian vehicles on the Nepal side, we earn at least Rs 2,500 per day.” 

Sources said petrol smuggling is becoming rampant in Bihar districts that share borders with Nepal such as Kishanganj, Supaul, Araria, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Sitamarhi and East and West Champaran.

In Uttarakhand, too, people are flocking to Nepal to get fuel tanks of their vehicles filled as prices in the country are increasing every day. Ripudaman Singh Tadagi, a fuel station owner in Tanakpur in Champawat district, said, “As much as 15-20% of our sale has been affected due to people going to Nepal for cheaper fuel.”

However, Vineet Tomar, district magistrate of Champawat, said, “We have no reports of smuggling. Borders are open and if vehicle owners are purchasing fuel legally, then it is a non-issue.” Interestingly, petroleum products are supplied to Nepal by India.

WITH fuel prices touching historic highs, the Reserve Bank of India has urged both the Centre and state governments to reduce indirect taxes on petrol and diesel. Taxes levied by the Centre and local governments make up for 60% of the retail cost of petrol while it is 54% in the case of diesel. 

“Calibrated unwinding” of taxes is needed to reduce price pressures in the economy, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said in the Monetary Policy Committee meeting that concluded on February 6, its minutes released on Monday showed.

“CPI inflation, excluding food and fuel remained elevated at 5.5% in December, due to inflationary impact of rising crude oil prices and high indirect tax rates on petrol and diesel, and pick-up in inflation of key goods and services, particularly in transport and health categories. Proactive supply side measures, particularly in enabling a calibrated unwinding of high indirect taxes on petrol and diesel are critical to contain further build-up of cost-pressures in the economy,” said Das. 

In January, Goldman Sachs had estimated Brent crude oil price to reach $65 a barrel by the middle of 2021. As international crude prices increase, petrol-diesel prices will continue to rise if tax rates don’t change. Fuel prices directly affect household budgets as prices of essential items invariably go up in tandem with petrol / diesel prices. 

Government’s cash cow

The Centre collected Rs 2.36 lakh crore in excise duties on petrol and diesel in the first nine months of FY21. For the full year, it expects to collect Rs 3.61 lakh crore — Rs 94,000 crore more than the Budget Estimate of Rs 2.67 lakh crore.

AMETHI: Union minister Smriti Irani on Monday bought a plot of land in Amethi to make a house for herself and, in an apparent dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, said no MP from here ever made the constituency his house.

Without taking any name, she said the history is witness to the fact that no Amethi MP ever made his house here and stayed.

“The people of Amethi always wondered if their MP would ever reside here after making his house,” she claimed while talking to reporters.

Irani had won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi after defeating the then MP, Rahul Gandhi.

“During the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, I had promised that I would make my house here and do all my work from here. For this I have got a plot of land registered,” she added.

Irani bought the land at Medan Mawai area of Gauriganj in Amethi for a sum of Rs 12 lakh and got it registered here on Monday.

“I have been residing in a rented accommodation here till now,” she said, adding she would invite all the people from her constituency during the “bhoomi poojan” for the construction of her house here.

She said she had promised to set up a medical college and an army school in Amethi besides getting built a bypass road for the city.

She said she has fulfilled all her promises till now.

KOHIMA: Amid the rise of fuel prices in the country, the Nagaland government on Monday cut down taxes on petrol, diesel and other motor spirits. The amended tax rate will be effective from midnight of 22nd February.

The rate of tax on petrol and other motor spirits in Nagaland have been reduced from 29.80 per cent to 25 per cent per litre or from Rs 18.26 to Rs 16.04 per litre (whichever is higher), according to the government notification.

The tax rate for diesel reduced from Rs 11.08 to Rs 10.51 per litre or 17.50 per cent to 16.50 per cent per litre (whichever is higher), the notification said.

The prices of petrol and diesel have been increasing continuously for more than 10 days and in some states, the price of petrol has even crossed Rs 100 in some states. Opposition parties also held protests in different parts of the country over the rise of prices of diesel and petrol.

This Notification came into force with effect from midnight of 22nd February 2021.

Shahdol (MP: A 20-year-old woman was gang-raped allegedly by four persons, including a BJP functionary, in Madhya Pradesh’s Shahdol district, police said on Sunday.

The ruling party later in the evening issued a statement that the accused office-bearer had been removed from its primary membership.

She was abducted in a four-wheeler, forced to drink liquor in a farmhouse in Gadaghat area under Jaitpur police station limits and then gang-raped on February 18 and 19, said Shahdol Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mukesh Vaish.

“On February 20, the four accused dumped her in front of her house. She filed a police complaint on Sunday. The victim was first taken to Jaitpur health centre and then shifted to the district hospital for treatment,” he added.

Soon after news broke out that the name of BJP Jaitpur mandal chief Vijay Tripathi figured in the FIR as one of the accused, the BJP issued a release informing that he had been thrown out of the party.

Shahdol district BJP president Kamal Pratap Singh has sacked Vijay Tripathi from Jaitpur mandal president’s post, and primary membership of the party after his name figured in the gang-rape case, the release said.

“The BJP has no place for such workers involved in heinous crimes. The BJP strongly deplores such a character and crime. Thus, taking disciplinary action, it sacks Vijay Tripathi from the post of Jaitpur BJP president and membership,” the statement further read.

Efforts are underway to nab the four accused, said the Additional SP.

A Rajasthan petrol bunk owner has filed a complaint against comedian Shyam Rangeela who mimicked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and mocked the fuel price hike in a video shot at his petrol bunk.

On February 16, Rangeela had shared the video on rising fuel prices from a petrol bunk in Sriganganagar. The video soon went gathered over a million views on Youtube and 42,000 likes on Twitter. Soon after that, the petrol bunk’s owner, Surendra Agarwal, lodged a complaint at the Sadar police station.

According to TheLallantop, Agarwal has been directed by the company to file the complaint, else face the consequences, including barring the supply of petrol and diesel of the pump. Agrawal in his video has alleged that Rangeela called him a journalist.

The comedian has said that he is ready to apologise if at all he had hurt anyone’s feelings but doesn’t understand why the company is insisting on an official action and has stopped the fuel supply to the station.

WHAT DID RANGEELA SAY IN VIDEO

In the video, Rangeela had mocked the skyrocketing fuel prices mimicking Modi. He had said that no government in the past could get petrol it’s real value

“My dear Indians, Sriganganagar in Rajasthan is very proud after the price of petrol touched ₹100. No such government has come in the history of free India, who could get petrol its real value, we have given the petrol its right,” said Rangeela in the video.

He further goes on to say, “Not only Sriganganagar, but the whole country will also get the opportunity to be proud of getting the actual value, I assure you. We are also buying petrol for ₹100 for the benefit of our country. The opposition says that if petrol prices are hiked, this will create a problem. But as I always say, national comes first than anyone. (log rahe na rahe, main rahun na rahun, magar ye desh rehna chahiye).”

PETROL BUNK OWNER APOLOGISES TO COMPANY

Speaking to the media, Agarwal said that Rangeela had called him up posing as a journalist and took permission to take a photograph near the pump. Later, on February 17, a few people came on the bike at the pump in the evening. The employees couldn’t figure out that a video was being shot, as there were many people gathered at one spot, and it went unnoticed by them.

“We have apologised to the company in this regard. Both the employees working at the pump have also been sent on leave,” he added.

“WILL NOT REMOVE VIDEO”

In response, Rageela posted a video stating that his motive was not to hurt anyone’s feelings. He apologised to people affected by the video. On the complaint filed, Rangeela clarified that he had made the video about the rising petrol prices in the state so that the government can pay attention and provide some relief.