“It is always people first for us,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a sizeable cut in petrol and diesel prices. The Centre cut excise duty on petrol by a record Rs 8 per litre and that on diesel by Rs 6 per litre to give relief to common people from high fuel prices.
“It is always people first for us! Today’s decisions, especially the one relating to a significant drop in petrol and diesel prices will positively impact various sectors, provide relief to our citizens and further ‘Ease of Living’,” PM Modi tweeted.
The decision to give a Rs 200 subsidy per cylinder to beneficiaries of the Ujjwala scheme was also highlighted by the prime minister.
“Ujjwala Yojana has helped crores of Indians, especially women. Today’s decision on Ujjwala subsidy will greatly ease family budgets,” he added.
While announcing the decisions, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that despite the challenging international situation, “we’ve ensured that there are no shortages/scarcity of essential goods”.
“Even a few developed countries couldn’t escape some shortages/disruptions. We are committed to ensure that prices of essential items are kept under control,” she stated.