New Delhi [India], April 7 : In the wake of the Centre's decision to increase excise duties on petrol and diesel, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate on Monday accused the government of deceiving the common people. She pointed out the disparity between international crude oil prices, which are currently at 60 dollars per barrel, and the failure to reduce domestic fuel prices accordingly.
Speaking to ANI, Shrinate condemned the government for "profiteering" and highlighted the added burden on consumers with the recent Rs 50 hike in LPG cylinder prices.
"To say that this will not affect the common man is an attempt to deceive and fool the people. Crude oil is currently 60 dollars per barrel, but have the prices of petrol and diesel decreased? The government is engaging in profiteering. The rule is that when the prices rise in the international market, our prices will rise too, but when the prices fall, instead of benefiting the people, the government engages in profiteering. After that, they added salt to the wound by increasing the price of the LPG cylinder by Rs 50," Supriya Shrinate said.
Meanwhile, the central government has raised the excise duties on diesel and petrol each by Rs 2 per litre, effective from Tuesday, according to a notification from the Department of Revenue.
Currently, the government charges excise duty of Rs 19.90 per litre on petrol. From Tuesday, it is going to be increased to Rs 21.90 a litre.
Similarly, the current excise duty on diesel is Rs 15.80 per litre, and it will increase to Rs 17.80 per litre effective Tuesday.
The retail selling price of petrol in Delhi is Rs 94.77 per litre, and diesel is being sold for Rs 87.67 per litre.
Crude prices have softened over the past from over USD 70 per barrel to USD 63 per barrel on Monday, raising margins for the oil marketing companies (OMCs).
LPG cylinders, both Ujjwala and non-Ujjwala, will be Rs 50 dearer starting Tuesday, Minister Hardeep Puri announced on Monday at a press conference.
"The price per cylinder of LPG will increase by Rs 50. From Rs 500, it will go up to Rs 550 (for PMUY beneficiaries), and for others, it will go up from Rs 803 to Rs 853," the minister said.
"This is a step which we will review as we go along. We review these every 2-3 weeks," he added.