Punjab Cabinet Minister Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa Tuesday slammed the Centre over rising fuel prices.
The rural development and panchayats minister demanded the Centre to bring petrol and diesel under the ambit of GST regime.
"Punjab was the worst affected as the consumption of diesel was very high here. Farm machinery runs on diesel and any hike in fuel rates reduce the margin of profit," said Bajwa in a statement here.
Bajwa recalled that the excise duty on petrol and diesel was hiked 12 times between May 2014 and September 2017 before it was cut by Rs 2 per litre in October last year.
In the case of diesel, the excise duty went up between May 2014 and September 2017 by 154 per cent, he pointed out.
He lashed out at the Centre for not taking the increase in fuel prices "seriously" which was adversely affecting the common man.
"Petrol and diesel prices in the country have touched a new high, rather highest till date. Why is Prime Minister Narendra Modi keeping silent," he asked.
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