Petrol and diesel prices were hiked by 80 paise per litre each on Tuesday morning, after a pause of over four months. The price of domestic cooking gas (LPG) was also hiked by Rs 50 per cylinder on Tuesday.
Petrol price in Delhi has gone up from Rs 95.41 to Rs 96.21 per litre while diesel in the national capital will now cost Rs 87.47 a litre. Petrol and diesel prices per litre in Mumbai will cost Rs 110.82 and Rs 95.00 respectively. In Kolkata, petrol and diesel will cost Rs 105.51 and Rs 90.62 per litre respectively while the prices in Chennai will be Rs 102.16 and Rs 92.19 respectively.
After November, this is the first fuel price hike. On 2 November last year the petrol price was hiked by Rs 35 per litre paise and on November 1 the diesel price was raised by 35 paise per litre. Also, the petrol price on 4 November last year was lowered by Rs 6.07 in the national capital.
The government raised the bulk diesel prices by Rs 25 a litre last week. Also, Aviation turbine fuel (ATF) or jet fuel price was increased by 18.32% to Rs 110,666.29 per kilolitre (kl) in the national capital, the steepest hike ever, according to a price notification issued by the government-owned fuel retailers. On 3 November last year, the Centre had cut excise duty by Rs 5 per litre on petrol and Rs 10 per litre on diesel to bring down the retail prices across the country. Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri had said that nine states had not reduced VAT on petrol and diesel after the Centre’s move to reduce excise duty on the petroleum products. “When we saw that relief needs to be provided to consumers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi slashed rates of petroleum products on November 5, 2021. We took some steps and were ready to take more. Nine states did not take follow up measures. Taxation is only one aspect. We have to provide relief to consumers at the point of consumption,” the minister said answering a query in Rajya Sabha on the prices of petroleum products.
Meanwhile, the price of domestic cooking gas (LPG) was hiked by Rs 50 per cylinder on Tuesday. A 14.2-kg LPG cylinder will now cost Rs 949.50 in Delhi from Tuesday. Domestic LPG rates were last revised on October 6 by Rs 15.
Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said that while it’s said that crude prices are rising due to the Ukraine-Russia crisis, the Petroleum Minister has stated that India doesn’t buy even one per cent of crude oil from Russia. “By increasing fuel prices the Narendra Modi government is making money worth Rs 10,000 crores by plundering the poor. Many say prices are rising due to the Ukraine-Russia crisis. But as per Petroleum Minister, we don’t even buy one per cent of crude oil from Russia,” he said.
Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had said that there will be an exorbitant rise in fuel prices after the Assembly elections. “We have been proven right,” he said, adding that Congress will stand with common people both outside and inside the Lok sabha. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also came down heavily on the Centre over the rise in petrol, and diesel prices. “The lockdown imposed on the prices of gas, diesel and petrol has been lifted. If the Prime Minister is questioned about the pandemic of inflation in the country, he will ask everyone to bang utensils,” Rahul Gandhi tweeted.