Central government raises excise duty on petrol and diesel by ₹2 per litre

The union government has raised excise duty by ₹2 per litre for both petrol and diesel. The notification states that the revised excise duty will come into effect on April 8, 2025. The excise duty on petrol was increased to ₹13 per litre and that on diesel to ₹10, as per the order.

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The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, however, informed the masses that the retail prices of petrol and diesel would remain the same.

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"PSU Oil Marketing Companies have informed that there will be no increase in retail prices of Petrol and Diesel, subsequent to the increase affected in Excise Duty Rates today," it wrote on X.

The order stated that the increased duty had been imposed by the Central government in public interest, under section 5A of the Central Excise Act, 1944 and section 147 of the Finance Act, 2002.

Congress reacts to price hike

The Congress on Monday hit out at the government after they announced a price hike of ₹2 per litre for both petrol and diesel, accusing it of rubbing salt into the wounds of people.

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In a post on X, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, "Wow Modi Ji Wow!! The international crude oil prices have fallen by 41 per cent as compared to May 2014, but your plundering government, instead of reducing the prices of petrol and diesel, has increased the Central Excise Duty by ₹2 each."

"You must not have been satisfied after the small and big investors in the stock market lost ₹19 lakh crores in one go due to the deep 'Kumbhakaran-like' sleep on the tariff policy, that your government has come to rub salt into the wounds!" he added.