Bringing massive relief to the citizens, the government of India on Wednesday reduced the excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 5 and Rs 10, respectively, which will come into effect from Thursday. Prices of petrol and diesel will come down accordingly. The constant rise in the prices of petrol and diesel has made life miserable for the people of the country. After much hue and cry, the government of India has been forced to cut down excise duty. However, this reduction in excise duty comes just days after liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices for commercial cylinders were increased by Rs 266 on Monday.
The increase in the prices of commercial cylinders is expected to hit the hotel and restaurants industry hard. The industry has already been struggling to survive due to the impact of the Covid pandemic. The massive hike shows the insensitiveness of the Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre. The prices of domestic cylinder and cooking oil have also gone up in recent years. The poor have been hit hard due to it. The BJP governments at the Centre and in the state seem least bothered about the high inflation. It is very rare that they take any initiative to try to bring down inflation.