Bringing petrol, diesel under GST will lower prices: Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said that the fuel prices will come down once the Centre builds a consensus to bring petrol and diesel under the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

"We have decreased our taxes already but now rates are going up due to rising crude oil prices in international market. So we are trying to make a consensus in GST Council on bringing petroleum under GST, that will decrease the price," Fadnavis said while replying to rising petrol and diesel prices in the state.

Analysts believe that the less production of oil in the OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) and hike in crude oil price in the international market are some of the factors affecting the fuel price.

Earlier on Tuesday, All India Petroleum Dealers Association president Ajay Bansal said that they can only control the rising fuel price by reducing VAT of state and central taxes.

Petrol prices rose by 30 paise in most metropolitans on Wednesday, leaving common man hassled.

In Mumbai, petrol was sold at Rs. 85 per litre, whereas in New Delhi, the rate has crossed Rs. 77 for a litre.

Following the hike in fuel prices workers of various opposition parties including Congress, All Assam Students' Union (AASU), Trinamool Congress (TMC), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) are staging protests in various parts of the country.