State-run oil marketing companies on Saturday increased petrol prices for the tenth time this month but kept diesel prices unchanged, Mint reported.
With the latest revision, petrol is costlier by 30 paise in Delhi. A litre of petrol and diesel in Delhi costs Rs 101.8 and Rs 89.8, respectively.
Petrol prices are above Rs 100 per litre in the other three metro cities as well. In Mumbai, petrol now costs Rs 107.8 per litre, whereas diesel has reached Rs 97.4 per litre, News18 reported. A litre of petrol in Chennai costs Rs 102.2 while a litre of diesel is now Rs 94.3. In Kolkata, one litre of petrol is now Rs 101.74, while a litre of diesel if Rs 93.02.
In Bhopal, a litre of petrol and diesel costs Rs 110.2 and Rs 98.6 per litre, respectively. It was the first city where petrol prices breached the Rs 100-mark in May.
On May 4, state-owned oil firms ended the 18-day hiatus in rate revision they had observed during Assembly elections to four states and one Union Territory. Since then, fuel prices have increased 41 times.
Opposition parties have severely criticised the Centre for this. The Rashtriya Janata Dal has said that it will hold protests across Bihar on July 18 and 19.
Last week, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had said: “Your vehicle may run on either petrol or diesel, but the Modi government runs on tax extortion.”
Several Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, meanwhile, have defended the rise in prices. On June 29, Madhya Pradesh Energy Minister Pradhuman Singh Tomar suggested that people should cycle to their destinations instead of using fuel-driven vehicles, as that would keep them healthy and reduce pollution.
On June 13, former Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan acknowledged that the rising fuel prices were problematic, but claimed that the Centre could not bring the rates down because it was saving money for welfare schemes.
In the Cabinet reshuffle on July 7, Hardeep Singh Puri replaced Pradhan as the petroleum minister.
Several factors influence fuel prices in the country, including crude oil, freight and processing charges, excise duty, commissions paid to fuel stations and Value Added Tax levied by state governments.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!