Not again! Fuel prices go up

Petrol and diesel prices soared to record highs on Friday after rates were hiked for the fourth day in a row. Petrol price was increased by 31 paise per litre and diesel by 35 paise a litre, according to a price notification of state-owned fuel retailers.

This took petrol price to an all-time high of Rs.88.14 a litre in Delhi and to Rs.94.64 in Mumbai.
Diesel rates rose to Rs 78.38 per litre in the national capital and to an all-time high of Rs 85.32 in Mumbai.

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In four days, prices have gone up by Rs.1.21 per litre for petrol, while diesel has risen by Rs.1.25 a litre.

Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had told Parliament that the government is not considering a reduction in excise duty to cool rates from their record highs.

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Rates have risen as international oil prices touched $61 per barrel for the first time in more than a year on improving demand outlook amid the global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, he had said.

Central and state taxes make up for over 61 per cent of the retail selling price of petrol and about 56 per cent of diesel.

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Retail petrol rates have risen by Rs.18.57 per litre since mid-March 2020, after the government raised taxes by a record margin to mop up gains arising from fall in international oil prices. Diesel rates have gone up by Rs.16.09.