Guwahati: Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday presented a vote-on-account for Rs 60,784.03 crore in the House and withdrew an additional cess on petrol and diesel, making the fuels cheaper by Rs 5 per litre.

Assam government has removed the additional cess of Rs 5 levied on petrol and diesel levied last year at the peak of Covid-19 pandemic. The revised rate will come into effect from today midnight.

while presenting the vote on account on Friday, Sarma said that 25 per cent additional cess on liquor is also done away with.

In a structured way, Assam and Meghalaya hiked petrol and diesel prices last year, while Nagaland had levied Covid-19 cess of Rs 5 per litre of diesel and Rs 6 on petrol and motor spirit after Assam and Meghalaya increased prices of petrol and diesel.

“... I am grateful to my cabinet colleagues who agreed to my proposal this morning to rescind this additional cess. Hence, petrol and diesel will become cheaper by Rs 5 per litre with effect from midnight tonight, benefiting lakhs of consumers across Assam,'' Sarma said in his speech.

The finance minister presented the vote-on-account for an aggregate expenditure of Rs 60,784.03 crore for the first six months of the current fiscal.

The elections to the 126-member Assam state assembly are likely to be held in March-April.

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