Hyderabad: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) demanded that the Central Government reduce excise duty and cess on petrol, diesel, and LPG. He linked these taxes to rising essential commodity prices. In addition, he urged the removal of GST on handloom products, life and health insurance, education fees, cancer drugs, and life-saving medicines.
Ahead of Wednesday’s GST Council meeting in Delhi, KTR wrote an open letter to the Centre. Through it, he called for tax reforms that would provide genuine relief. According to him, “Handloom GST must be scrapped completely. It is our right and the Centre’s responsibility.”
Criticism of the Centre’s GST claims
KTR sharply criticised the Union Government for projecting the cancellation of the 12 percent GST slab as a major reform. However, he argued that this slab contributes only 5 percent of the ₹22 lakh crore GST revenue. Therefore, its removal amounts to a cosmetic move. He further described the claim that it benefits the poor people and middle class as “a political gimmick.”
He also recalled that the Modi Government once tried to increase handloom GST from 5 to 12 percent. Widespread opposition, however, forced it to postpone the decision. Instead, KTR reiterated that handloom products should be exempt entirely, stressing that weaving is both a livelihood and a cultural heritage.
Fuel taxes “root cause of inflation”
Meanwhile, KTR highlighted that soaring excise duties and cess on petrol, diesel, and LPG have burdened people. This has happened even though international crude prices dropped to 2014 levels. He accused the Centre of raising fuel prices via cess to deny states their revenue share.
“Unless fuel taxes are reduced, commodity prices will not ease. GST tweaks alone will not help. If the Centre truly intends to provide relief, it should cut excise duty and remove cesses immediately,” he said.
