‘You must’ve taken free vaccine’: Union minister justifies fuel price hike

Soaring fuel prices across the country have dampened the mood ahead of the festive season.

Union minister of state for petroleum and natural gas Rameswar Teli on Saturday said that the price for the vaccines is being collected by levying taxes on diesel and petrol. He also said that the price of fuel is not that high when the taxes levied is factored in.

Teli asked reporters if the vaccine which they have taken against Covid-19 was for free or not.(Twitter/Rameswar Teli)

“Fuel prices aren't high but include the tax levied. You must've taken a free vaccine, where will the money come from,” Teli was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. “You haven't paid the money, this is how it was collected,” Teli said.

Soaring fuel prices across the country have dampened the mood ahead of the festive season. Petrol prices recorded on Monday across the country remained above ₹100. Monday was the seventh straight day of price hike which pushed the fuel prices to a new record high.

Delhi saw petrol prices soar to a record high of ₹104.44 a litre while the fuel cost ₹110.41 per litre in Mumbai. Diesel prices soared above ₹100 in Mumbai, Kerala and Karnataka. According to a report by PTI, petrol prices rose by 30 paise a litre and diesel by 35 paise for six days in a row.

Diesel rates have gone up by ₹4.35 per litre since September 24 while petrol prices rose by ₹3.25 per litre from September 28 onwards.

The opposition parties slammed the government for fuel price hike amid the festive season. Daily commuters also voiced their concerns about the price rise and asked the government to consider the situations pertaining to Covid-19 and decreased incomes.

“Prices of fuel should be reasonable. It should not take a toll on people's pockets. This move bothers the general public. Both the central and state government should reduce the taxes imposed on petrol and diesel,” a daily commuter, Yogendra, who hails from Delhi, told news agency ANI.