Summary:
The JPDA will take a final call on the strike after meeting Das on Thursday, it had said. Political parties in the opposition also demanded a waiver in VAT. There was no reaction from the CM’s office on Rai’s letter till late evening.Notably, the JPDA in a state level meeting held in Hazaribag early this week, announced that petrol pumps across Jharkhand will go on indefinite strike from October 1 if the state government did not slash VAT being levied on petrol and diesel. If VAT of up to 4.5% is waived, the prices of a liter of petrol and diesel will come down by at least Rs 2,” Rai wrote in his letter.Notably, the price of a liter of petrol crossed Rs 80 mark in Ranchi and different cities of Jharkhand last week, triggering discontent among the general public, transporters and trading communities. However, the Jharkhand government is yet to announce any step on providing immediate relief to customers from inflated prices.“The drop in petrol prices due to reduction in VAT is likely to attract customers from bordering states in petrol pumps of Jharkhand and companies will also purchase from the dealers of the state, causing higher revenue collection for the government,” Rai wrote..