AIADMK coordinator O. Panneerselvam on Sunday wanted Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to stick to the latter’s position before the 2021 Assembly election on bringing the prices of petroleum products within the purview of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and take steps towards getting the prices reduced.
Recalling that Mr. Stalin, as the Leader of Opposition, took the stand in 2018, Mr. Panneerselvam said the DMK, after the election, had changed its stance on the matter.
He referred to a reported letter written by Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in which he had argued against getting fuel prices covered under the GST system.
The AIADMK leader said efforts to get the prices lowered would help the implementation of the DMK’s electoral promise of reducing the prices of petrol and diesel, by ₹5 and ₹3 a litre respectively.
In a separate statement, AIADMK co-coordinator and Leader of Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami said many direct procurement centres in districts with high production of paddy had remained shut.
In the interest of the farmers, the government should immediately open them, Mr. Palaniswami added.
