New Delhi: Petrol and diesel prices in the country can be reduced soon. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in the Rajya Sabha today that the central government is in favor of bringing petrol and diesel to the realm of commodity and service tax (GST) but it is decided by the GST Council. Joining GST of petroleum products will have a direct impact on their prices. GST council will now decide Arun Jaitley said this while answering the question asked by Devendra Goud of Biju Janata Dal during Question Hour. He said that the constitution was amended for GST but petrol was included in it but it was decided by GST Council to implement it. He said that the GST Council also includes the Finance Ministers of States and Union Territories and they have to make a decision together. In 19 states, the government waits for whom Former Finance Minister and Congress member P. Chidambaram asked the question, what is the government's intention, is it in favor of bringing petroleum products in the realm of GST? When there is a BJP government in 19 states, what is the problem in preparing state governments for this? Jaitley said that the central government is in favor of it and it is expected that the state governments will be ready for this. He said that the GST Council meets every month and the next meeting will be held in January. He said that all the decisions taken in the GST Council so far have been taken with consensus. Jaitley's reply to Chidambaram Taking a dig at Chidambaram, he also said that when the UPA government drafted the GST bill, it did not even have the petroleum product. If his government has kept it in the constitution amendment with at least GST. When Chidambaram complained about the decline in petrol prices in the country when petrol prices were falling in the international market, Jaitley said that state governments also tax taxes on petrol and diesel. BJP-ruled states have reduced their taxes but Congress-ruled states have not done so far. Chidambaram became silent after hearing Jaitley's reply.
