The skyrocketing prices of petrol and diesel has affected the common man including transporters, commercial truck drivers, etc. The opposition has staged protests in different parts of the country against the hike. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, bizman Robert Vadra were among the protestors who agitated against the fuel price hike by riding e-bike and cycles.
The opposition has been questioning the “politically fixed freeze” in fuel prices as rates of petroleum products in the country are benchmarked to international product prices.
In reply to a query in Lok Sabha, MoS Finance Anurag Thakur informed that “generally, the prices of petroleum products in the country are higher/lower than other countries due to a variety of factors, including prevailing tax regime and subsidy compensations by the respective governments, the details of which are not maintained by the government”.
The minister also said, “The excise duty rates have been calibrated to generate resources for infrastructure and other developmental items of expenditure keeping in view the present fiscal position.”
On Monday, unbranded petrol was retailing in Delhi at Rs 91.17 per litre while diesel was Rs 81.47. In Mumbai, petrol was retailing at Rs 97.57, while diesel cost Rs 88.60.
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