Bharat Bandh: Andhra Pradesh Reduces Fuel Prices by Rs 2 as Oppn Parties Join Congress-led Stir

Amaravati: As several opposition parties joined Congress for Monday’s Bharat Bandh against rising fuel prices, Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu announced a Rs 2 reduction in petrol and diesel prices.

The new rates will come into effect from Tuesday morning, a state government order read.

Naidu said the Centre earned a huge sum by hiking levies on fuel but did little to reduce the burden on the common man.

The state government currently levies 31 percent VAT plus Rs 4 additional tax per litre of petrol and diesel. The additional tax component is now being reduced to Rs 2 a litre, a senior official of the Commercial Taxes Department said separately.

Consequently, the price of petrol is expected to come down to Rs 84.71 a litre and diesel Rs 77.98 from Tuesday morning when the tax cut comes into effect.

Scores of opposition party workers were taken into custody across Andhra Pradesh on Monday during the Bharat Bandh protests.

While the Congress gave the bandh call to protest the rise in prices of petroleum products, Left parties and Jana Sena also joined in support.

The ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) also organised separate demonstrations to protest the steep hike in prices of petroleum products.

During his regular teleconference with party leaders, Chandrababu Naidu criticised the Centre over the petro price hike and said it was leading to escalation in prices of essential commodities.

"This is becoming an unbearable burden on the common man," he said.

As a precautionary measure, the State Road Transport Corporation suspended some of its services in various districts.

The protesters staged a sit-in in front of RTC depots to prevent movement of buses.

Police then took them into custody.

In Vijayawada, state Congress President N Raghuveera Reddy led a bullock cart rally from the party office protesting the petro price hike.

Most of the educational institutions remained closed because of the bandh. Petrol stations too remained closed. Otherwise, there has not been much of an impact due to the shutdown.