Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong has defended the rate of tax on petrol and other fuel in Meghalaya as necessary to fund the State government’s development agenda.
Petrol prices in Shillong have touched Rs 90 per litre in the last few days, higher than it is in major cities like New Delhi or Kolkata.
As Meghalaya needs to cough up 10 percent of the cost of major development projects, with the remaining 90 per cent coming from the Centre, the state needs revenue generating options to cover its share and the tax on fuel is one such mechanism, the Deputy CM said.
Besides GST, the State government has added another 1-3 percent so that revenue is generated to meet public requirements.
“We will have to wait for the budget (on February 1) to be presented by the Union Finance Minister on the high rate charged for petrol and diesel and see what decision they take on this matter,” Tynsong added.
