News Desk: Life will just get costlier in Maharashtra in the coming days as the state Finance Minister Ajit Pawar has decided to hike taxes in petrol and diesel vehicles as well as the cooking gas.

After the Union budget 2012-13, Maharashtra Finance Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday presented a marginal Rs 152-crore revenue surplus in the Legislative Assembly for the Fiscal Year 2012-13.


There would be little relief to the taxpayers as there was no major increase in taxes. However, the hike in cooking gas would impact on the house wife's house budget.


The revenue receipt in the state is expected to be Rs 1, 36,711 crore, while the expenditure would be Rs 1, 36,599 crore in 2012-13. Pawar has increased 5% uniform sale tax on costly food items such dry fruits.


There would be 2% to 4% tax hikes across price groups for petrol and diesel vehicles respectively. Pawar clarified it saying "environmental reasons". The proposed tax hike would certainly discourage the use of petrol and diesel cars in a metro like Mumbai where everyone wants to lead a luxury life.


However, there is a relief for taxi and autos as the tax for the ‘green’ CNG vehicles were reduced by 2%.


Cooking gas will be expensive as the government has increased 5% sales tax on domestic LPG cylinders. The cylinder, which costs around Rs 398, will be now available at Rs 418.


In a major relief to the realty industry, stamp duty rates for flats and leave-and-licence, the taxes were not hiked. However, the tax has been levied on sand and Plaster of Paris by 12% from 5%.


Pawar has proposed a tax hike in the tobacco products by 20 per cent. However, beedis and un-processed tobacco are excluded from tax. Beedis like all the tobacco products are equally injurious to health, therefore, only 12.5 per cent sales tax has been levied.


Pawar, who is also the Energy Minister, announced an amnesty scheme for paying electricity bill. He said that if the outstanding electricity duty as on December 31, 2011 is paid in a single installment, 50 per cent of interest would be waived. However the consumer needs to withdraw all pending court cases against the power companies. The scheme would come into effect from April 1, 2012 to June 30, 2012.

 

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