At a time when fuel rates have hit through the roof across the country, petrol and diesel prices in poll-bound Assam have been slashed by Rs 5 while the duty on liquor has been cut by 25 percent.

The new rates, announced by the state’s Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in the Assembly on February 12 (Friday), will come into effect from midnight.

“Speaker sir, at the peak of COVID-19, we had levied an additional cess on petrol, diesel, and liquor. Now, the number of patients has reduced... I am grateful to my cabinet colleagues who agreed to my proposal this morning to rescind this additional cess. Hence, petrol and diesel will become cheaper by Rs 5 per litre with effect from midnight tonight, benefiting lakhs of consumers across Assam,” Sarma said, reported PTI.

Fuel prices in the country have been on a constant upsurge since the first week of 2021, after staying more or less stable for a month. The rising costs have come against the backdrop of a rally in global crude oil prices even as coronavirus vaccination drives have begun across the globe.

Meanwhile, the Assembly polls in Assam are scheduled to take place in March-April. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, with Sarbananda Sonowal at the helm of power, is aiming to retain power.

In the election run-up, political heavyweights of the BJP, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, have made frequent visits to the State. Last month, Modi announced the distribution of land ‘patta’ or allotment of land certificates to more than 1 lakh landless people belonging to indigenous communities. That was the first time, since independence, that so many people were to be awarded ‘patta’ in Assam at a time.

In another visit, the Prime Minister had inaugurated a series of developmental projects in the state.

The Union budget presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1 also saw a significant amount for the building of roads across the state being earmarked for the financial year 2021-22.

(Edited by : Anshul)

First Published:Feb 12, 2021 2:33 PM IST