Fuel prices rise sharply again after day's break

After a day of pause, oil marketing companies have increased petrol and diesel prices by 29 paisa and 34 paisa per litre respectively. With this, petrol now comes for around Rs 98.65 a litre and diesel for Rs 90.11 a litre in Mumbai. Petrol prices in some states including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and in some places in Maharastra have breached the Rs 100 per litre mark.

New Delhi:Maintaining its rising trend, fuel prices increased again on Friday just after a day of pause with state-owned fuel retailers hiking rates of petrol and diesel by 29 paisa and 34 paisa per litre respectively in the national capital.

In Delhi, petrol now costs Rs 92.34 per litre and diesel is priced at Rs 82.95 per litre up from yesterday's level of Rs 92.05 and Rs 82.61 a litre respectively in the national capital.

Across the country as well the petrol and diesel prices increased on Friday but its quantum varied depending on the level of local levies in respective states.

In Mumbai, petrol now comes for around Rs 98.65 a litre and diesel for Rs 90.11 a litre according to a price notification from oil marketing companies

Petrol prices in some states including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and in some places in Maharastra have breached the Rs 100 per litre mark while premium petrol has been hovering above that level for some time now.

Fuel prices have now increased on four of the last five days rising continuously from Monday to Wednesday, pausing on Thursday and again rising on Friday. Prior to holding back auto fuel prices on Saturday and Sunday, its pump rates had also increased sharply on previous four days as well.

Petrol prices have increased by Rs 1.79 a litre Delhi in May in the eight increases so far. Similarly, diesel prices have risen by Rs 2.22 per litre in capital this month.

IANS had written earlier that OMCs may begin increasing the retail price of petrol and diesel post state elections as they were incurring losses to the tune of Rs 2-3 per litre by holding the price line despite higher global crude and product prices.

The oil companies had already increased the ATF prices by 6.7 per cent effective this month.

OMCs benchmark retail fuel prices to a 15-day rolling average of global refined products' prices and dollar exchange rate.

In the last fortnight global oil prices have hovered in USD 66-67 a barrel range higher than the levels when petrol and diesel prices were last revised. Crude prices have jumped around USD 69 a barrel now.

With global crude prices at around USD 69 a barrel mark, OMCs may have revise fuel prices upwards again if there is any further firming up.

(IANS)