Shinde-Led Maharashtra Govt Cuts VAT On Petrol & Diesel, State Exchequer To Entail Burden Of Rs 6,000 Crore

Maharashtra government officially made the first call to reduce the value-added tax (VAT) on both diesel and petrol by ₹3 and ₹5 per litre, respectively, newly appointed Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced on July 14. This move, which came into action from Thursday midnight, would entail a burden of ₹6,000 crores on the state exchequer.

Chief Minister Shinde informed after a cabinet meeting at the secretariat 'Mantralaya' will vastly benefit the people of the state affected by the fuel price hike. Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis stated that the move was part of the Shiv Sena-BJP government's commitment to people's welfare.

The state government would also ensure the burden of ₹6,000 crores on the state exchequer does not impact development works, Shinde was quoted as saying by The New Indian Express.

Reversing Schemes Of Earlier Regime

The Maharashtra state government also reversed the earlier Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) regime's move to stop the direct election of village sarpanch and municipal council/nagar panchayat presidents.

Previously, the Fadnavis-led government (in power earlier between 2014 to 2019) had allowed the direct election of sarpanches and municipal council presidents, which the MVA dispensation headed by the former state CM Uddhav Thackeray scrapped in 2020.

Fadnavis also revealed that the Shinde government would restore the pension of the "Loktantra Sangram Senani", jailed for protesting against the Emergency between 1975 and 1977.

In 2018, the then Fadnavis government had brought in a pension of ₹5,000 to ₹10,000 for such individuals; however, it was halted by the MVA in 2020.

Restoring Previous Initiatives

On July 14, Deputy CM Fadnavis stated that around 3,600 people will now get the pension, and over 800 applications will also be approved on merit.

''Not just the Jana Sangh and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, all political activists participated in the agitation against the Emergency. My father was in jail for two years. Democracy was reinstated due to efforts of the activists,'' Fadnavis said.

He said the incentive was stopped by the previous MVA government due to pressure, maybe because Congress was part of it.

Fadnavis further said Shinde has given all clearances for the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project.

Shinde said Prime Minister Narendra Modi called him on Thursday morning and asked to expedite the free-of-cost COVID-19 booster dose programme for people in the age group of 18 to 59 years.

The programme should be taken up in the next 75 days, he said.Shinde also said the phase-2 of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) will be implemented in Maharashtra.

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