Ranchi, August 10 (HS). On the call of Jharkhand Petroleum Dealer Association, 1600 petrol pump owners from across the state will gather in Ranchi on August 16. They will meet Chief Minister Hemant Soren regarding seven point demands.
Sharat Dudani, general secretary of Jharkhand Petroleum Dealer Association, said that a meeting will be held with the chief minister on August 16 regarding VAT and other demands. If the demands are not considered, then a phased agitation will be carried out. Jharkhand has 22 percent VAT on petroleum while it is less than this in neighbouring states. Due to this, vehicles from outside do not take fuel here. Apart from this, there is a tax on petroleum at a single point. Still, we have to file returns.
He said that like Bihar, the provision of filing returns should be abolished here too and VAT should be reduced from 22 to 18 percent. The provision of annual maintenance charge for Pollution Under Control Centre should be abolished. Government offices owe crores of rupees to petrol pumps, demands like clearing this, increasing the margin money of petrol pumps to five percent, making petroleum products available on time, not forcibly billing lubricants etc. will be put forward.