Hubballi, Oct 17 (Representative) Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai Sunday said Karnataka will have opportunities to reduce cess and sales tax on petrol and diesel to ease their prices, only if the Indian economy improves. “I have already said it in the past. It depends on the economy. I have called for an economic review meeting. If the economy improves, we will have opportunities,” he told reporters here. Fuel prices have reached their highest ever levels across the country today. Petrol price in Delhi rose to Rs 105.84 a litre after an increase of 35 paise on the day. Diesel price also rose by 35 paise, which pushed the price to Rs 94.57 per litre in Delhi.
Fuel rates in Mumbai saw a similar trend with the petrol rate increasing by 34 paise, reaching Rs 111.77 a litre. Diesel rate also increased by 35 paise and bloated its rate to Rs 102.52 per litre in Mumbai.In Kolkata, petrol price is at Rs 106.43 and diesel is at Rs 97.68, while petrol and diesel in Chennai are Rs 103.01 and Rs 98.92 respectively. During the monsoon session, the Congress had demanded reduction of taxes on fuel by Rs 3 per litre as done by the Tamil Nadu government. In reply, Bommai had contended that the increase in price of fuel between 2004 and 2014 has been 60 per cent, whereas it has only been a 30 per cent increase in seven years of Narendra Modi’s rule.