Rajya Sabha MP Urges Finance Minister to Bring Petrol and Diesel Under GST

Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra has formally urged Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to address the long-standing demand to bring petrol and diesel under the Goods and Services Tax (GST). In a letter to the Finance Minister, Patra urged her to put this issue on the formal agenda for the next GST Council meeting, pushing for a thorough discussion and agreement between the Centre and the states. Highlighting the urgency of the matter, Patra emphasized that rising fuel prices are hitting both families and businesses hard. As fuel gets more expensive, so does transportation, and that’s driving up the cost of food and adding to the country’s inflation woes. He also pointed out that the Constitution already allows for bringing petroleum products under GST. Citing Article 279A, Patra cited the government that the GST Council has the power to recommend when this rollout should happen. He argued that leaving petrol and diesel outside the GST has created market distortions, with big price differences from state to state thanks to varied and unpredictable VAT rates. Watch the video here: