Fuel rates continued to move up relentlessly in small doses for the nineteenth time in 34 days making petrol costlier by ₹4.63 per litre and diesel ₹5.22 across the country since May 4, a day after results of five assembly polls were declared.
State-run oil companies raised petrol price by 27 paise and diesel by 29 paise on Sunday.
The latest hike took auto fuel rates to yet another record. Petrol in Delhi was sold at ₹95.03 per litre on Sunday and diesel at ₹85.95 a litre. While fuel rates 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.
Surging international oil rates and exorbitant domestic tax structure are two key reasons for high rates of petrol and diesel in pumps.
Indian fuel retailers align pump prices of petrol and diesel with their international benchmark rates of previous day. Benchmark Brent crude, which fell marginally by 0.06% at $71.31 per barrel on Thursday, gained 0.81% on Friday close at $71.89 a barrel. In the national capital, central levies account for 34.8% of petrol’s price and state taxes, 23.08%, according to official data of June 1.