GUWAHATI: Two separate developments involving fuel prices and UPI charges have drawn attention to how government statements can change as policy positions evolve.
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On April 23, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas rejected reports that petrol and diesel prices were set to rise, saying there was “no such proposal under consideration by the Government” and describing the reports as “mischievous and misleading”.
However, fuel prices were increased in May. Petrol and diesel prices rose by around ₹3 per litre on May 15, followed by another increase of around 90 paise on May 19. Further increases followed later in May.
A separate issue concerns UPI Merchant Discount Rate (MDR). In June 2025, the Finance Ministry rejected reports of MDR being introduced on UPI transactions, calling the claims “completely false, baseless and misleading” and referring to them as “sensation-creating speculations”.
On September 15, however, the government announced that UPI would remain free for person-to-person payments and merchant transactions up to ₹2,000, while MDR would apply to specified merchant transactions above ₹2,000. The framework is designed to keep most UPI transactions outside MDR, with the government stating that around 96% of P2M transactions will remain unaffected.
The two cases involve different circumstances and timelines, but they highlight how government positions can evolve as policies are reviewed and implemented.