E-Paper
Oil price hike tough decision: Congress
Congress on Wednesday defended the decision of the government to increase the prices of petrol by Rs 4 and diesel by Rs 2 a litre saying these are tough decisions but have to be taken in larger national interest.
Congress on Wednesday defended the decision of the government to increase the prices of petrol by Rs 4 and diesel by Rs 2 a litre saying these are tough decisions but have to be taken in larger national interest.
"These are tough decisions but have to be taken in larger national interest," party spokesman Manish Tewari said.
Tewari said when prices of crude oil in international market crumbled last year, the UPA government, at the instance of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, decreased the prices of petrol by Rs 10 a litre and diesel by Rs 5 a litre.
"Now when the prices of crude in international market has jumped from 40 dollars a barrel to 70 dollars a barrel, government had to take certain steps to keep the oil marketing companies viable," he added.
He said notwithstanding the increase on petrol and diesel prices, kerosene and domosetic LPG prices have not been hiked and there is a direct subsidy of Rs 30,000 for the aam aadmi (common man).
