Even though the people are unhappy with the increase in petrol and diesel prices, the Modi government has increased its revenue by 300 per cent

New Delhi, Monday 22 March 2021

The increase in petrol-diesel prices may upset the common man, but it has led to a 300 per cent increase in government revenue, the government said on Monday.

State Finance Minister Anurag Thakur, in a written reply to a question, said that before the Union government came in, it had collected Rs 29,279 crore from excise duty on petrol and Rs 42,881 crore from excise duty on diesel during 2014-15. And tax collection on diesel rose to Rs 2.94 lakh crore.

However, women working in tea gardens in Jorhat district of Assam, which has been hit by unbearable rising gas cylinders, have now started re-burning wood for cooking instead of gas, as they are paid only Rs 173 a day in the tea garden. The gas subsidy has also come to an end and they can no longer afford a bottle of gas, forcing them to blow up stoves.