Petrol and diesel prices were hiked by 80 paise a litre each on Wednesday, taking the total increase in rates in 16 days to Rs 10 per litre. Petrol price in Chennai rose by 76 paise per litre to Rs 110.85, in Bengaluru by 84 paise to Rs 111.09 and in Hyderabad by 90 paise to Rs 119.49 per litre.
Petrol in Delhi will now cost Rs 105.41 per litre as against Rs 104.61 previously while diesel rates have gone up from Rs 95.87 per litre to 96.67, according to a price notification of state fuel retailers.
Rates have been increased across the country and vary from state to state depending upon the incidence of local taxation. This is the 14th increase in prices since the ending of a four-and-half-month long hiatus in rate revision on March 22. In all, petrol and diesel prices have gone up by Rs 10 per litre each.
Meanwhile, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday said that though Russia-Ukraine war has impacted the fuel prices across the world recently, the increase in India worked out to be only 5 per cent during April 2021 and March 2022 as against over 50 per cent in some developed and developing nations.
Intervening in the short duration discussion in the Lok Sabha on the 'Situation in Ukraine', the minister rejected the Opposition's charge that Operation Ganga was 'operation transport' and not 'operation evacuation'.
The minister, who was one of the special envoys sent to countries bordering Ukraine to coordinate evacuation of Indians from the war-torn nation, said the Indian government did organise buses in Ukraine to transport stranded students to bordering countries in the last stages of Operation Ganga and that cannot be dismissed as 'operation transport'.
Referring to rising petrol prices, the minister said, "we are not the only country impacted by the war." The Russia-Ukraine war has affected the entire world, he added.
Citing figures, the minister said the increase in prices of petrol was very low in India as compared to developed and other developing nations in the aftermath of the war.
He said petrol prices have gone up by over 50 per cent in countries like the US, the UK, Canada, Germany, and Sri Lanka. In case of India, the increase worked out to be only 5 per cent, he added.