Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru (RJP)

Bengaluru, Oct 5: Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday refused to cut down sales tax on fuel, saying that his government has already reduced the tax a month ago.

"We had reduced the sales tax on fuel only a month ago,” he stated when he was asked whether his government will again reduce the tax as advised by the Centre to bring down skyrocketing prices of petrol and diesel.

The JD(S)-Congress coalition government had cut sales tax on petrol and diesel by Rs 2 per litre last month, after the nation-wide bandh protesting against the fuel price hike.

Kumaraswamy said that the Centre's decision to reduce fuel price by Rs 2.50 per litre was a welcome move.

"The Centre has finally provided some relief to the common man by reducing the fuel price. It has only followed in the footsteps of the Karnataka government," he said.

Meanwhile, state BJP president B S Yeddyurappa demanded that the state government should immediately reduce the sales tax on fuel by Rs 2.30 per litre.