A public interest litigation has been filed in the Madhya Pradesh High Court challenging the decision of the Central government to use the cess raised from the sale of petrol and diesel in other items.
The division bench of Chief Justice Mohammad Rafique and Justice Prakash Shrivastava on January 8 issued notices to the Union Government and the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in this regard to file reply in four weeks.
Advocate Dinesh Upadhyay appeared on behalf of PIL activist Dr P.G. Najpande and Dr M.A. Khan. He argued that the Central government had imposed 8 per cent cess on petrol and diesel in 1988 for road infrastructure and safety. The Central government changed the name of this act in 2018. The Central government also made a provision that the cess of petrol and diesel will now be used for commercial infrastructure in other items as well.
The petitioner’s advocate stated that the cess on petrol and diesel should be utilized for road infrastructure and safety, and the cess should not be used in other items.
It was further argued by the counsel that the amount received from petrol-diesel cess cannot be used arbitrarily. It should be spent on the item for which the amount has been determined. People are being cheated by not doing so, claimed the PIL.
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