Ministers' fuel allocation goes up by 250 litre per month

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has found one more reason to attack the Centre. While defending his decision to increase petrol allowance from 750 litres to 1,000 litres a month to ministers, he has criticised the Centre for not reducing petrol and diesel prices.

The State government issued a gazette notification on January 28, announcing the hike in allocation of fuel for ministers. As per the notification, the ministers will be permitted reimbursement of petrol allowance, based on fluctuation of the fuel prices.

Currently, petrol is priced Rs 63.38 per litres . If a minister goes for a reimbursement of the entire 1,000 litres  this month, then he will be eligible for an amount of Rs 63,380. The amount to be reimbursed will however keep varying depending on the fluctuation in petrol prices - it might be lesser or more than Rs 63,380.

Defending the government’s move to increase the petrol allowance of the ministers from 750 litres  to 1,000 litres, Siddaramaiah while interacting with the media on Tuesday criticised the Centre for not reducing petrol and diesel prices even after prices of international crude oil crashed to $ 28 per barrel.

Siddaramaiah was reacting to the BJP’s remarks, attacking the government for the 33 per cent hike in fuel allocation.  Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Tuesday, he said that when the UPA government was in power, crude oil prices were USD 120 per barrel, but after the NDA came to power, the prices fell to $ 28 per barrel.

“Despite a slump in the crude oil prices, why the Centre has not reduced the prices of petrol and diesel? They have no moral authority to criticise us. Moreover, the Centre increased the Excise duty, despite the fall in crude oil prices through which it saved Rs 1.50 lakh crore,” he added.

Home Minister G Parameshwara too said the hike had nothing to do with the privileges of the ministers.

He added that at times ministers themselves introduced austerity measures depending on the severity of the situation. He also said that the ministers need not use the entire quota of 1,000 litres, if they do not need so much fuel.