The chief minister tweeted that "after the reduction by the Centre, today our government has also reduced 2 per cent cess and 2 per cent VAT on petrol and diesel; it will give relief to people".
However, when the state finance minister was contacted, he said no fresh decision on reduction of VAT or cess on petrol and diesel has been taken.
"We had reduced 2 per cent VAT and one-and-a-half per cent cess on petrol and diesel soon after taking over to give relief to people. No such new decision has been taken," Pant clarified.
When asked about the chief minister's tweet in this regard, Pant said there might have been a "mistake".
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To a question on the Centre's recent directive to the states to give relief to people by reducing VAT and cess on petrol and diesel, Pant said the state government had done that already.
"However, if there is scope for giving further relief we will consider it," he said.
Union oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan last week had asked states to follow the Centre's footsteps and reduce VAT on petrol and diesel.
Yesterday, three states of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh had announced cut in VAT rates on the two fuels.
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