Centre, states need to talk to ease load on consumer: FM on fuel price hike

Speaking on the fuel price hike issue, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday admitted that both the Centre and state needed to talk in a way to reduce burden on petrol and diesel consumers.

“If eventually, we want the consumer not to be bearing so much of the burden, it is the Centre and states that have to talk… Let’s see what we can do,” said Sitharaman while interacting with students and faculty at an event organised by the JSW School of Public Policy at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad.

“I strongly believe it is no longer competitive (between Centre and state). If the end consumer should pay less and I agree the burden should be less on them, it is no longer a competition between Centre and states,” she added.