Pune: Cess on petroleum products in the state will not be reduced and hence the prices of petroleum products are unlikely to go down, Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) state chief Raosaheb Danve has said.
Mr Danve made the comments in Pune. “Prices of petroleum products depend on price of crude oil in international market. But till the time it reaches the state, the price goes up due to various costs including transportation and taxes. But the state will not be able to reduce cess on petrol and its prices will likely to remain high,” he said.
Commenting on former Congress leader Narayan Rane’s induction into the BJP, he said, “I, Chandrakant Patil and the chief minister had a meeting with Narayan Rane in Delhi. We also had a meeting with party chief Amit Shah. But Rane met all of us including Amit Shah to invite us for the inauguration of a hospital he has built. Any decision regarding Rane will be taken by the party.”
On senior BJP leader Eknath Khadse, who resigned as a minister following corruption allegations, Mr Danve said, “Khadse himself offered his resignation due to the various accusations. He himself does not want to get back into the Cabinet till the inquiry (into charges against him) is finished. A proper decision will be made later as he is a senior leader of the party.”
Mr Danve also said Maharashtra is ahead in securing foreign investment and the state is getting a loan for the Samruddhi Mahamarg corridor from South Korea at only 1 per cent interest.
When asked about other party leaders joining the BJP, he said, “If they contact BJP then what else we can do. The BJP does not approach them to get into the party. As per our survey, everybody is working properly”.
Reacting to BJP MP Nana Patole’s comment that Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not listen to anybody, Mr Danve said, “Patole has been known to express his opinion strongly since he was in the Congress.”
Mr Danve said the required amount for farmer loan waiver would be deposited in banks by October end, as promised by the state government. The state needs Rs 34,200 crore to give loan waiver to over 89 lakh farmers.
