NEW DELHI: Excise duty on petrol and diesel has more than doubled since BJP-led NDA came to power in May last year, Parliament was informed today.
In a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said excise duty on petrol was Rs 9.48 per litre in April, 2014, which after five rounds of hikes has risen to Rs 19.06.
Similarly,
the excise duty on diesel was Rs 3.65 per litre in April, 2014 which
after five rounds of excise duty hikes has risen to Rs 10.66.
A
litre of petrol in Delhi costs Rs 60.48, nearly a third of which is
made up of excise duty. Another Rs 12.10 is on account of local sales
tax or VAT.
The cost of producing petrol is just Rs
23.77 per litre but after adding company margin, petrol pump dealers
commission and taxes, it sells for Rs 60.48.
On diesel, Rs 6.88 is added on account of VAT
as the cost of production is only Rs 24.67 per litre. Pradhan said
excise duty on petrol was hiked by Rs 1.54 per litre on November 12 last
year and then by Rs 2.32 on December 3, 2014. It was further raised by
Rs 1.94 per litre on January 1, Rs 2.04 on January 17 and Rs 2.40 on
November 7 this year.
In case of diesel, the excise duty
was hiked from Rs 3.56 per litre to Rs 5.11 on November 12 last year
and then to Rs 6.14 on December 3, 2014. This year, it was further
raised by Rs 2.06 each on January 2 and January 17 and by Rs 0.40 on
November 7, he said.
To a separate question, Pradhan
said petrol pump dealers are paid a commission of Rs 2.26 on sale of
every litre of petrol and Rs 1.43 on diesel.
