10% more tax on diesel vehicles?

New Delhi: Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday spoke of the need to levy an additional 10 per cent tax on diesel-run vehicles to help cut emissions, but later clarified that there was no proposal under government consideration to impose such a tax.

Speaking at the annual convention of automobile manufacturers body SIAM, Gadkari said rising pollution level is a serious health concern and there is a case for increasing taxes to dissuade sale of diesel vehicles.

"I am requesting the Finance Minister to impose an additional 10 per cent GST on diesel engines/vehicles. This is the only way to phase out diesel vehicles," he said, indicating a meeting was scheduled with the Finance Minister for handing over a letter he had drafted on the issue. But soon after he took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to clarify the government's position.