Centre collected Rs 94,181 crore in April-June 2021 through petroleum duties: Finance Ministry

Petrol, diesel prices continue to rise, in turn raising wholesale prices. (Image: Shutterstock)

Central government has collected about Rs 94,181 crore in revenue through excise duties on petrol and diesel from April to June 2021, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Choudhary said in Lok Sabha on July 19.

"The excise duty rates have been calibrated to generate resources for infrastructure and other developmental items of expenditure keeping in view the prevailing fiscal situation," Choudhary said, adding that the average share of central excise duty on petroleum products from 2017-18 to 2020-21 in gross revenue collected by union is 12 percent.

Choudhary was replying to a question on cess levied on petrol and diesel.

Additionally, in a reply to a separate question on the same subject, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Rameshwar Teli said that currently the excise duty on unbranded petrol stands at Rs.32.90 per litre and 31.80 per litre for diesel.

Teli said that for 2020-21, the centre had collected Rs 3.45 lakh crore in excise duties on petroleum products. That amount was Rs 1.98 lakh crore in 2019-20 and Rs 1.78 lakh crore in 2018-19.

Teli also informed the house that for July 2021 so far, the price of the Indian crude basket stood at $74.34 per barrel, which is the highest monthly price since October 2018, reflecting the spike in global commodity prices.