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You Are Paying Over Rs 20,000 A Year In State Petrol Taxes

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari questioned the effectiveness of Delhi's Environment Compensation cess (ECC) in tackling air pollution, highlighting that its collection on national highways hinders seamless travel and damages the reputation of road infrastructure projects. He suggested alternative funding mechanisms for municipal bodies, urging the Delhi government to address the issue to alleviate commuter woes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vehemently denied reports suggesting the government was considering a cess or tax on foreign travel. He stated there was no truth to these claims and reiterated the commitment to improving 'Ease of Doing Business' and 'Ease of Living' for citizens, dismissing any notion of imposing such restrictions.

Transporters and taxi unions are on a strike across Delhi-NCR for the second day, protesting the increased environment compensation cess on commercial vehicles and rising fuel prices. While the strike's impact is limited, unions demand a rollback of the ECC and a revision of taxi fares due to financial strain on drivers.

As the landscape of property buying in India evolves, so too must buyers' understanding of tax obligations. Non-compliance with TDS rules, particularly for deals involving NRIs, may incur hefty fines and surcharges.

The government has imposed a Rs 3 per litre windfall tax on petrol exports while reducing levies on diesel and aviation fuel. These revised rates, effective May 16, aim to ensure domestic fuel availability and prevent excessive profits from elevated global crude oil prices amid the West Asia conflict.

The first leg of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway from DND Flyway to Jaitpur is set to open in 20 days, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be invited for its inauguration. This 31.5-km stretch aims to decongest Delhi-NCR, reducing travel time to Jewar airport to 45 minutes and facilitating smoother journeys to western and central India.

Commercial vehicle drivers in Delhi-NCR launched a three-day strike demanding fare hikes due to soaring fuel costs. Unions cite financial struggles, urging immediate government action on taxi and auto fares. However, several transport associations have distanced themselves, vowing to continue services and emphasizing national interest amidst global price challenges.

Centre extends new fire safety law to UT

India has significantly increased import duties on gold and silver to 15% from 6%, aiming to curb rising imports and conserve foreign exchange amid the West Asia crisis. This move follows Prime Minister Modi's appeal for austerity and aims to ease pressure on the rupee and the country's balance of payments.

Global oil prices are beyond India’s control but a tangle of govt interventions that have left Indian aviation structurally fragile. These demand correction.

In a statement, the Finance Ministry also announced that the road and infrastructure cess on diesel exports will be waived for the next fortnight starting May 1. Meanwhile, the export duty on petrol will continue to remain at zero.