Petrol, diesel costliest in AP, cheapest in Andaman
A litre of petrol in Amaravati - the capital city of Andhra Pradesh - costs `109.74, while the same comes for`82.46 in Andaman& Nicobar Islands
New Delhi: Petrol and diesel are costliest in Andhra Pradesh largely because of the highest VAT the state charges, while smaller states and Union Territories such as Andaman & Nicobar Islands have the lowest fuel prices, according to information furnished in the Rajya Sabha on Monday. A litre of petrol in Amaravati - the capital city of Andhra Pradesh - costs Rs 109.74, while the same in Andaman & Nicobar Islands comes for Rs 82.46, according to a written reply by Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi in response to a question on disparities in fuel prices.
"The final selling prices of petrol and diesel include excise duty fixed by the Central Government and Value Added Tax (VAT)/Taxes fixed by the respective State/UT Governments," he said, adding that the rates vary across the country due to different freight rates and VAT/local levies, which vary from state to state. NDA-ruled Andhra Pradesh charges the highest VAT of Rs29.06 per litre on petrol, while the same in Andaman & Nicobar Islands is just Rs0.82 per litre.
The VAT is levied on top of Rs21.90 a litre charged by the central government as excise duty. Similarly, diesel in Andhra Pradesh is priced at Rs97.57 per litre after accounting for Rs21.56 a litre VAT. The rate for the fuel in Andaman & Nicobar Islands is Rs 78.05 per litre, as the VAT is the least (Rs 0.77 per litre).
Keeping Andhra Pradesh company is Left Democratic Front-ruled Kerala, where petrol is at Rs 107.48 per litre. Congress-ruled Telangana ranks close behind, with petrol priced at Rs 107.46 per litre. Petrol prices are also high in several BJP-ruled states, including Madhya Pradesh's capital Bhopal at Rs 106.52 per litre, Patna at Rs 105.23 (where the BJP governs in coalition with JD(U)), Jaipur in Rajasthan at Rs 104.72, and Mumbai at Rs 103.54 per litre. In Trinamool Congress-ruled West Bengal, petrol costs Rs 105.41 per litre in Kolkata.
Among the metros, Delhi always had the cheapest fuel as it levied lower taxes. Petrol is priced at Rs 94.77 a litre as it levies Rs 15.40 per litre VAT.
