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Fuel rates rise again, petrol at ₹100.21 per litre in Delhi
The highest fuel rates have been recorded in Rajasthan’s Ganganagar where pumps are selling petrol at ₹111.50 per litre and diesel at ₹102.78 a litre
Petrol prices have crossed ₹100 per litre in Delhi and Kolkata on Wednesday after fuel retailers raised petrol rates by 35 paise per litre and diesel by 17 paise in the early morning even as international crude oil prices slumped on Tuesday following an inconclusive meeting of producers’ cartel -- the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, including Russia (together known as OPEC+), over supply cuts.
Domestic fuel retailers align pump prices of petrol and diesel with their respective international benchmarks of previous day, which often move in tandem with crude oil rates. Pump rates of auto fuels rose in India on Wednesday even as international oil prices fell sharply the previous day.
An impasse in the meeting of OPEC+ saw profit booking on Tuesday that led to a sharp 3.4% decline in Brent crude to $74.53 per barrel after it hit the session’s peak at $77.84, the highest since October 2018. The US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude also fell 2.4% at $73.37 that day, after hitting $76.98 during the intraday trade, its highest since November 2014.
International oil price rally resumed on Wednesday indicating unrelated surge in petrol and diesel rates in India. Brent opened weak on Wednesday, but gained $1.40 or 1.88% to $75.93 a barrel during the intraday trade.
Wednesday revision of India’s domestic fuel rates is the 36th hike in the last 65 days that made petrol costlier by ₹9.81 per litre and diesel by ₹8.8 a litre since May 4, a day after results of five assembly polls were declared. Petrol is now priced at ₹100.21 per litre and diesel at 89.36 a litre in New Delhi.
While fuel rates of state-run Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) in Delhi are the benchmark for the entire country, retail prices of the two fuels differ from place to place because of variations in state taxes and local levies.
With the latest hike, petrol rates in all major metros have crossed ₹100 per litre, with Delhi and Kolkata are the latest entrants. Kolkata pumps have priced petrol at ₹100.23 per litre and diesel at ₹92.50 a litre on Wednesday. The cost of one litre of petrol in the financial capital is now ₹106.25 a litre and diesel, ₹97.09.
The highest fuel rates have been recorded in Rajasthan’s Ganganagar where pumps are selling petrol at ₹111.50 per litre and diesel at ₹102.78 a litre.
Surging international oil rates and exorbitant domestic tax structure are two key reasons for high rates of petrol and diesel in pumps.
In Delhi, central levies account for 33.29% of petrol’s price and state taxes, 23.07%, according to an official data of July 1. On diesel, central taxes are over 35.66% while state taxes are about 14.62%. Through 2020, as global crude prices fell, the central government raised excise duty on the fuel to shore up its finances. States too followed suit -- with revenues hit on account of the pandemic.
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The unrelenting upward movement of fuel rates since May 4 already saw petrol crossing ₹100 mark in various cities across the country, particularly in states and UTs of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Odisha, Manipur, Jammu & Kashmir, Laddakh, Punjab, Bihar, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
Some of the cities selling petrol for over ₹100 per litre are Mumbai, Ratnagiri, Parbhani, Aurangabad, Jaisalmer, Ganganagar, Banswara, Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior, Guntur, Kakinada, Chikmagalur, Shivamogga, Hyderabad, Leh, Imphal, Kalahandi, Sopore, Baramulla, Patna, Salem, Thiruvananthapuram, Mohali and Darjeeling.
Even as international oil prices saw volatility since May 4, pump rates of auto fuels in India moved only in the upward direction. For instance, despite Brent crude had plunged to $65.11 on May 20, the lowest in these 46 days; petrol and diesel rates went up the next day by 19 paise per litre and 29 paise a litre, respectively.
According to executives working in state-run oil marketing companies, pump prices are also high because companies were recovering their past revenue losses like the one suffered for 66 days since February 27 when rates were not raised because of assembly elections in four states and one Union territory.
During the 66-day pause on rate hike, state-run retailers had also reduced politically sensitive petrol and diesel rates by 77 paise and 74 paise a litre, respectively in four small steps. But, the entire gains to the consumers were quickly reversed in the first four consecutive rounds of rate hikes starting from May 4.
The government deregulated the pricing of petrol on June 26, 2010 and diesel on October 19, 2014. Accordingly, state-run retailers are free to change pump prices every day. Public sector retailers — IOC, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL)— control almost 90% of the domestic fuel retail market.
