Government-run oil companies on Monday raised the rates for petrol and diesel, after a day’s pause. Sunday was the first time fuel prices remained unchanged since June 7 when oil firms resumed the daily revision of rates after 82 days.
In Delhi, a litre of petrol will now cost Rs 80.43 per litre after an increase of 0.05 paise and diesel will be available at Rs 80.53 a litre after its price was raised by 13 paise. On Saturday, petrol was priced at Rs 80.38 and diesel at Rs 80.40 per litre in the national Capital.
The rates differ for every state, based on the value added tax. Petrol costs Rs 87.19 a litre in Mumbai and diesel is priced at Rs 78.83. In Chennai, a litre of petrol is for Rs 83.63 and diesel for Rs 77.72. Meanwhile, petrol is priced at Rs 82.12 per litre and diesel costs Rs 75.64 in Kolkata.
The Congress is scheduled to stage a countrywide protest against the incessant rise in fuel prices amid the coronavirus crisis on Monday. The opposition party has repeatedly criticised the Centre for burdening people with inflated fuel prices amid India’s fight against the escalating health crisis.
The Congress said that it will stage protests in front of central government offices across the country, while adhering to physical distancing guidelines. Congress leaders and workers will submit memorandums to President Ram Nath Kovind and ask him to roll back the increased fuel prices.
Other opposition parties have also been staging protests against rising fuel prices in different states. On Thursday, Rashtriya Janata Dal leaders Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav rode bicycles along with party workers in Patna city to protest the huge increase in the prices of petrol and diesel. Congress leader Digvijaya Singh led a similar protest in Bhopal on Wednesday.
Fuel rates are increasing incessantly since oil companies resumed their revision of prices on June 7 after an 82-day-long pause. The freeze in prices was imposed in the middle of March after the government increased the excise duty on petrol and diesel to shore up finances.
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