In Uttarakhand, giving some relief to common man, the State government has reduced VAT on petrol. With this the hike in petrol price has been minimised by78 paisa a litre. An official statement said that Chief Minister B C Khanduri has decided to give waiver in VAT on the increased price of petrol. The measure would cost the exchequer 21.78 crore rupees per annum, the statement added. In June also, the state government had announced a similar relief in VAT on the prices of petroleum products.