New Delhi: State-owned oil companies on Wednesday cut petrol and diesel prices by Rs 2 a litre (excluding local taxes) across the country as their international prices dip. With this reduction, the petrol will be priced at 72.50 a litre as against 75.11 a litre. Similarly, diesel rates were reduced to 54.30 a litre from 56.79 a litre earlier.
In Delhi, however, the impact will be muted as state government hiked VAT on petrol and diesel to boost its revenues. This is in line with the Modi government in Centre which due to lower international prices also hike duty on petrol and diesel to boost Central revenues.
Both the steps of the Modi government at Centre and Kejriwal’s government in Delhi have robbed the people in national capital of a chance to get full benefit of the lower international crude oil prices.
However, in other states petrol and diesel will become cheaper. In Kolkata, petrol will now cost Rs 71.57 a litre against Rs 74.09 a litre, in Mumbai Rs 71.97 a litre against earlier Rs74.52 per litre. In Chennai, petrol will now cost Rs 67.29 a litre against Rs69.84 per litre. In Kolkata, diesel will now cost Rs 52.75 a litre(against Rs 54.75 a litre earlier).
