People queue up after Goa government slashes petrol prices

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Long queues were witnessed near petrol pumps throughout Goa after Manohar Parrikar government slashed the petrol prices by Rs 11 since midnight.

The petrol pumps ran dry by afternoon owing to mammoth rise in customers forcing the petroleum firms to send additional tankers at various fuel stations.

The situation is expected to normalise by evening. The state government has brought down 22 per cent VAT on petrol to just 0.1 per cent pulling down the prices. A litre of petrol now costs Rs 54.96 here as against Rs 65 per litre priced till yesterday.

The vendors at the petrol stations stated that majority of the people were topping up full tanks which drained the stocks within hours of the opening of the station. Cars were queuing on the road to get into the petrol station, causing a problem for other road users.

There were serpentine queues of the two-wheelers too, which had chocked the traffic further.

"There were queues even before we came here at 7 a m to open the station. This was not expected. People should know that the reduction in prices is not just a day-long phenomenon. This should stop this panic-buying," the vendor commented.

Goa Petrol Dealers Association President Paresh Joshi said the scarcity of fuel was a temporary phenomenon.

"People were waiting for today to fill the petrol as it would cost cheaper. Also several fuel stations had not accepted the stock on Saturday as they will have to bear the Value Added Tax (VAT) on it," he said.

Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had said he was ready to abolish entire VAT on petrol but negligent 0.1 per cent is retained to know the quantum of petrol sold in the state.

Money collected from 0.1 per cent VAT will also be utilised to fund the monitoring mechanism on the borders to ensure that there is no smuggling of the fuel to neighbouring states.

The BJP in its manifesto for March 3 elections had promised to slash the petrol prices. The assurance was fulfilled in the state budget presented on April 26.