Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has criticized the KCR government for levying more VAT on petrol and diesel. He said that Telangana imposes one of the highest VAT rates on petrol and diesel. It is 35.20% on petrol and 27% on diesel. The state government, the Minister added, has collected Rs 56,020 Cr as VAT from 2014 to 2021. And Telangana is projected to mop up Rs 13,315 Cr in 2021-22. "Where has it gone?" the Union Minister asked.

KTR gave a reply saying that one can’t run with the hares and hunt with the hounds. "The price of a barrel of crude oil back in 2014 and in April 2022 is almost the same $105. But the price of petrol in 2014 was Rs 70 and now it is at Rs 120. NO increase in VAT in Telangana. So where did the increase come from?" he asked.

The TRS leader alleged that the price increase is solely because of additional excise duties and cesses imposed by the Centre. "Why don’t you advise the PM to scrap cess so we can give petrol at Rs 70 and diesel at Rs 60 all over India? Isn’t it true that Rs 26.5 lakh crores have been collected as cess by the Centre?" KTR added.