PETROL and diesel price on Sunday was hiked again by 35 paise a litre and the auto fuels now cost a third more than the rate at which ATF is sold to airlines. The fourth straight day of 35 paise per litre hike sent petrol and diesel rates to record highs across the country. The price of petrol in Delhi rose to its highest-ever level of Rs 105.84 a litre and Rs 111.77 per litre in Mumbai, according to a price notification of state-owned fuel retailers. Petrol used in two-wheelers and cars now costs 33 per cent more than the price at which Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) is sold to airlines. ATF in Delhi costs Rs 79 per litre. The costliest fuel is in the border town of Ganganagar in Rajasthan where petrol comes for Rs 117.86 a litre and diesel for Rs 105.95.

 

Since ending of a three-week long hiatus in rate revision in the last week of September, this is the 16th increase in petrol price and the 19th time that diesel rates have gone up. While petrol price in most of the country is already above Rs 100-a-litre mark, diesel rates have crossed that level in over a dozen States/UTs. including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Chattisgarh, Bihar, Kerala, Karnataka and Ladakh. Prices differ from state to state depending on the incidence of local taxes. Shedding the modest price change policy, state-owned fuel retailers have since October 6 started passing on the larger incidence of cost to consumers. This is because the international benchmark Brent crude is trading at USD 84.8 per barrel for the first time in seven years.