AIZAWL: The Mizoram government has hiked the price of petrol and diesel by Rs 4 per litre each with effect from September 1, a minister said.
Taxation Minister Vanlalthlana said that the hike was for social infrastructure and road maintenance.
He said that the government imposed a new levy of Rs 2 per litre on both diesel and petrol for social infrastructure and services cess, alongside an additional Rs 2 per litre for road maintenance.
He said the new prices came into effect on September 1.
He said the decision to hike fuel prices was taken for the benefit and welfare of the people.
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Vanlalthlana expressed optimism that the Rs 4 per litre hike on fuel would foster a sense of ownership among citizens regarding the infrastructural development and maintenance of projects undertaken by the government.
Vanlalthlana assured that despite the recent VAT hike and new cess, the current prices of fuel remain lower than in 2021.
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He explained that the decision aligns with recommendations from the State Resource Mobilisation Committee, which was tasked with identifying methods to boost the state’s revenue.
In a notification issued recently, the state government increased VAT on petrol from 5.23 per cent to 10 per cent and on diesel from 16.36 per cent to 18 per cent.
With the additional levies, the current cost of petrol in Aizawl at Rs 99.24 per litre, while diesel costs Rs 88.02 per litre, up from the previous Rs 93.93 and Rs 82.62, respectively.