Govt collects Rs 21,054-cr via petrol, diesel cess in FY'15

The government has collected Rs 21,054 crore through the cess imposed on petrol and diesel in the last financial year, ended March 2015, Parliament was informed today.
The collection is higher by 22 per cent at Rs 21,054.43 crore as against Rs 17,330.87 crore collected in 2013-14. In 2012-13 the figure stood at Rs 16,401.91 crore, Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways P Radhakrishnan said in a written reply to Lok Sabha.
The cess on petrol and high speed diesel is collected as per the provision of the Central Road Fund (CRF) Act, 2000, which is utilised for development and maintenance of national highways (NHs), development of rural roads, he added.

It is also used in the development and maintenance of other state roads of inter-state and economic importance and for the improvement of safety at rail-road crossings, among others, the Minister informed the House.
"Besides, the Ministry also approves/sanctions works for development of state roads under CRF including roads of Economic Importance (EI) and Inter-State Connectivity (ISC)," Radhakrishnan said.
In a separate query, the Minister told the House that the government has set a target of laying down 10,950 km of highways, under various schemes, in the current fiscal, ending March next year.