Bhubaneswar, March 12: The Opposition Congress today moved a privilege notice against chief minister Naveen Patnaik for announcing his government’s willingness to reduce the value added tax (VAT) on aviation turbine fuel outside the Assembly when the House was in recess.

Moving the notice in the Assembly, Opposition chief whip Prasad Harichandan said Naveen had announced at the inaugural function of domestic terminal for the city airport on March 5 to reduce VAT on aviation turbine fuel from 20 per cent to 5 per cent to attract international flights.

The budget session of the Assembly began on February 14 and the annual budget for 2013-14 was presented on February 19. “But there was no mention of such tax relief in the budget proposals nor in the Governor’s address to the House,” said Harichandan.

The Assembly was also not informed about it after it reassembled on March 7, said the Congress leader.

Stating that as per the tradition of the Assembly, no policy statement should be announced outside the House when it is in session, Harichandan said Naveen’s announcement amounted to the breach of its privilege.

Speaker Pradip Amat said he was examining the notice.

Parliamentary affairs minister Kalpataru Das said Naveen had not announced any tax relief. “He has only said the state government is willing to consider the demand for curtailment of VAT. This is not a policy decision,” he said.

Ruling BJD legislator Ranendra Pratap Swain said the UPA government had hiked petroleum prices twice within 15 days after presentation of Union budget. “The hike was not announced in Parliament,” he said.