Travellers in Delhi may face difficulties as auto, taxi, fuel pumps go on strike

Petrol pumps in Delhi shut today over state government’s refusal to cut value added tax. All petrol pumps along with linked Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) dispensing units are shut on today in protest. The protest started from 6 am today and will remain till 5 am on Tuesday.

Delhi has a higher VAT than neighboring states. In comparison to Delhi, fuel rates in bordering states like Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are cheaper, the Delhi Petrol Dealers Association (DPDA) said in a statement.

On October 4, the Central government announced a cut of Rs 2.50 a litre each for petrol and diesel and urged state governments to match the reduction to provide relief from high fuel prices. Maharashtra and Gujarat were among the first states to announce reductions of Rs 2.50 per litre each. Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Assam, Uttarakhand, Goa, Arunachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir later announced similar moves. However, Delhi government refused to reduce VAT on both petrol and diesel.

Auto, taxi unions are also unhappy with the government’s decision and is joining the strike with the fuel pumps thereby making it difficult for travellers and daily commuters to travel in the city. Delhi has nearly 1 lakh auto-rickshaws and around 1.5 lakh taxis.