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Petrol@86.81 per litre and diesel@76.10 per litre in Pune
Though citizens welcome the reduction in prices, they expect further reduction
Shrinivas Deshpande
After Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced that the Centre was reducing fuel prices by ₹2.5 per litre on Thursday, BJP-ruled states are announcing additional cuts. Eleven of the 19 states where the party is in power announced matching cuts within four hours of the Finance Minister’s announcement. On Friday, petrol was being sold at ₹86.81 per litre and diesel at ₹76.10 per litre, in the city.
The Congress has mocked it as a “panic reaction ahead of elections”.
Earlier on Thursday, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced a cut of ₹2.50 per litre on both petrol and diesel prices and directed the state governments to implement the same. “Excise duty to be reduced by ₹1.50 and Oil Marketing Companies will absorb one rupee. So, a total of Rs.2.50 will be reduced on both diesel and petrol,” Jaitley said.
On Thursday, petrol was being sold at ₹91.16 per litre and diesel at ₹78.69 per litre, in the city. Since the start of the calendar year, the petrol price in Pune has gone up by almost 15.18 per cent from ₹79.00 per litre on January 16, 2018. The hike in diesel has been steeper. It has gone up by 20.31 per cent since January 16, when it cost ₹64.75 per litre.
Ramesh Takalkar,district president, Grahak Manch, Pune, said, “This is much-needed relief for common people. It is correct to bring down the rates. Since January, fuel prices have increased by almost 20 per cent. This cut in prices by ₹5 per litre will definitely reduce the burden on the pocket of common people.”
Manasi Joshi, an IT professional, who travels from Sahakarnagar to Hinjewadi in her car said, the relief was needed, but the government should bring down the rates further. “There has been rise of more than ₹10 per litre of petrol in the past three months. However, the government has reduced it only ₹2.5 per litre. Government should consider a further reduction in prices,” said Joshi.
The all-India petrol dealer’s association welcomed the government decision .Spokesperson Ali Daruwalla said, “All petrol pump owners will update the new prices with immediate effect from Thursday midnight. We hope the government keeps control on rising prices of fuel in the near future also.”
