States have agreed to bring petrol, diesel under GST: Maharashtra FM

Mumbai, Oct 10 (IANS) Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar on Tuesday said states had agreed to bring petrol and diesel under the ambit of Goods and Services Tax (GST).

"All the states have given the permission to bring petrol and diesel under GST. But we have to wait for the right time," Mungantiwar told BTVi in an interview in Hindi.

"All states have their own problems. During the time of GST implementation, all the rights were entrusted to the GST Council," he added.

There is growing pressure on both the Centre and the states to lower taxes on the two fuels and bring them under GST.

Around 54,000 petrol pumps all over India will go on a 24-hour strike from midnight on October 13 demanding inclusion of petroleum products under the newly introduced indirect tax regime and other long pending issues.

"All the petroleum products must be brought under the GST regime so that our long-pending demand of 'one nation, one rate' can be fulfilled to benefit the consumers," Federation of All Maharashtra Petrol Dealers Association President Uday Lodh had said earlier.

Truck owners and operators had also called for a 36-hour nationwide strike starting from 8 a.m. of October 9, demanding inclusion of diesel in the new indirect tax's ambit and also to protest against the "disruptive policies" under GST.