Maharashtra Vat Cut: Amidst the Middle East war and rising inflation, the Maharashtra government has given great relief to air passengers. Maharashtra government has significantly reduced VAT on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF). The VAT which was earlier 18 percent has now been reduced to 7 percent. This cut of the state government has become effective from today i.e. Friday 15th May and will remain effective till next 14th November. This decision is in the interest of both airlines and passengers. From here you can know about it in detail.

Who gave the information?

Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu has given information about this announcement on social media platform X. He has also expressed his gratitude to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in his post.

Due to the West Asia crisis, the Indian aviation industry is facing certain issues like air space closures, uncertain operations, spike in ATF prices. During these times, under the leadership of Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji, the government of India has given multiple respects… pic.twitter.com/Ayd671wWbq

— Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu (@RamMNK) May 15, 2026

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What is the purpose?
The main objective of this reduction is to reduce the pressure on operational costs and air fares due to the ongoing crisis in West Asia. The government believes that this will reduce the pressure on airlines’ costs and will also help in flight operations. At the same time, the sharp increase in fares for those traveling by air can also be controlled.

How many air travelers are there in Maharashtra?

Let us tell you that there are 16 operational airports in Maharashtra and it has the highest air traffic in the country. In this state, about 7.5 crore passengers travel by air in a year and if we look at the daily figures, about 2 lakh passengers travel by air every day. The reduction in VAT will greatly benefit passengers at all airports.

How much has the price of petrol and diesel increased from 2014 till now? When and how much did prices increase?

LPG Cylinder Crisis Iran War: The impact of the ongoing war and increasing tension in Western Asia has now reached the kitchens of the common people of India. The shortage of LPG is increasing across the country and especially in Delhi, while the demand for PNG is increasing rapidly. However, the taxes imposed on both these fuels are putting additional burden on the pockets of the general public and traders.

Brijesh Goyal, Chairman of the Chamber of Trade and Industry, the top organization of businessmen of Delhi and the country, has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding this serious issue. In the letter, he has raised the demand to make LPG and PNG completely tax free, so that the common people can get relief.

Different tax burden on LPG

According to the organization, currently 5 percent GST is levied on residential LPG in India, while this tax on commercial cylinders reaches 18 percent. In such a situation, it is having a direct impact on business activities.

PNG is also not untouched by tax

Although PNG does not currently come under the purview of GST, VAT ranging from 3 percent to 14.5 percent is levied on it in different states. 5 percent VAT is applicable on PNG in Delhi, which increases its cost.

Brijesh Goyal says that the Central Government should reduce GST on LPG to zero and VAT on PNG should also be completely abolished. He believes that this will provide great relief to both consumers and traders across the country.

Domestic impact of global crisis

According to CTI Senior Vice President Deepak Garg and Vice President Rahul Gandhi, the increasing conflict in West Asia has created a global oil and gas crisis. Its effect is clearly visible in India, where there is a shortage of LPG and a rise in the demand for PNG.

Sharp jump in PNG connections in Delhi

General Secretaries Gurmeet Arora and Ramesh Ahuja said that the number of people taking PNG connections in Delhi has increased rapidly. While in February 2026, an average of 686 connections were being given daily, in March this figure has reached around 2000.

Despite this, there are about 56 lakh domestic LPG connections in Delhi. In such a situation, both the availability and price of gas remain a matter of great concern for the common people.

Excise Duty Cut On Petrol & Diesel: Amidst the increasing tension in the Middle East and the global energy crisis caused by the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, the Government of India has taken a big step to provide relief to the general public. People’s expectations have definitely increased with the decision to reduce excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 10, but the question still remains, will its benefits reach your pocket directly?

The government has reduced the excise duty on petrol to around Rs 3, while on diesel it has been reduced to zero. Usually, after such decisions, there is a reduction in retail prices, but in India, fuel prices are not completely decided by the government.

What is the benefit to the public?

Actually, the prices of petrol and diesel are decided by oil marketing companies like Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited. These companies keep in mind the international crude oil price, dollar-rupee exchange rate and their margins while deciding the price.

For this reason, experts believe that it is not necessary that the full benefit of reduction in excise duty reaches the consumers immediately, especially when there is uncertainty in the global market and fluctuations in crude oil prices continue.

What did the Finance Minister say?

Meanwhile, Nirmala Sitharaman has supported this decision and said that the aim of the government is to provide relief to the public from the pressure of inflation. He also clarified that despite the turmoil in the energy market, the government is committed to securing essential supplies and protecting the interests of the people.

In such a situation, this decision is definitely a big step towards relief, but whether petrol and diesel will be cheaper or not will depend on the global situation and the decisions of the oil companies in the coming days.

Also read: News of cut in excise duty and lockdown… Nirmala Sitharaman told what is the next plan