Petrol pump owners across Maharashtra, who claimed they have suffered losses of at least Rs 200 crore due to the sudden decision of the Union government to reduce central excise duty without informing them, on Thursday approached Maha Vikas Aghadi government seeking relief and also requesting that they be informed in advance if the state plans to cut value added taxes (VAT).
On November 3, the Union government had announced a central excise duty cut on petrol and diesel, reducing the price of petrol by Rs 5 and that of diesel by Rs 10. But retailers (petrol pump owners) of the fuel were shocked by the decision as they had bought petrol and diesel at hefty prices from oil companies and stocked the same ahead of Diwali.
