If oil-companies could absorb global changes in fuel-prices for more than a fortnight before polling for recently-held Karnataka state-assembly, then it is clear that central government is lying that fuel-prices are revised on daily basis. Central government should issue a white paper that there was no change in global-prices during that politically crucial period in India. Since one-paise reduction in petrol-price is totally ineffective for people, oil-companies could rather not implement it to put the so-saved heavy amount in a reserve fund.

Since government is the biggest user of petroleum products, Union Government apart from cutting down its own expenditure should its austerity drive by announcing stiff measures for a drastic cut in consumption of petrol and diesel in the government also to overcome deficit resulting out of varying prices of petroleum products.

1. Bigger and smaller sized cars for fixation of dual rate-structure of GST should be done according to ex-factory value rather than length of the car, and any new car at cost of public-exchequer should then be a small car even for heads of nation, legislature, judiciary and bureaucracy.
2. Government-loans to its employees including from public-sector should only towards small cars. Even public-sector banks should give car-loans only for small cars
3. GST should be applicable on petroleum products to ensure uniform prices throughout the country.
4. Large overheads and publicity-budget should be curtailed by merger of all public-sector oil-companies in one unified company.
5. Discounts on petrol and diesel purchased by affluent class through credit-cards should be abolished. An RTI response reveals that HPCL encouraged more purchase of petrol and diesel because credit-card users usually get their tanks full by swap of credit-cards.
6. New-look translucent LPG cylinders made of fibre-glass ensuring tamperproof full-load supply of LPG gas per cylinders should replace old iron-cylinders with one time replacement-cost rather than charging rupees 300 extra for every re-fill.
7. LPG subsidy should only for those with combined monthly family-incomes below say rupees 30000 that too only on submitting affidavits about combined family-income.

 Madhu Agrawal

madhuguinness@gmail.com

New Delhi