Agency
New Delhi: Petrol price was hiked by Rs 2.21 a litre and diesel by Rs 1.79 per litre, excluding local levies on Friday.
The price revision was to come into effect Thursday, but was deferred possibly to save the demonetisation-battered government from any blushes in Parliament. The revised rates will be effective from midnight tonight.
This increase excludes local levies. The actual hike after considering VAT would be Rs 2.84 per litre in Delhi for petrol and Rs 2.11 for diesel.
After the hike, petrol in Delhi will cost Rs 68.94 per litre from midnight tonight as against Rs 66.10 currently, said Indian Oil Corp, the nation’s largest fuel retailer. Similarly, a litre of diesel will cost Rs 56.68 as compared to Rs 54.57 now.
But an increase that was warranted because of a rise in international gasoline (petrol) price to USD 62.82 per barrel from USD 57.43 and that of diesel to USD 60.97 from USD 56.79 was not announced Thursday. Rates were last revised on December 1 when petrol price was hiked by a marginal 13 paise a litre, but diesel rates were cut by 12 paise.
Prior to the December 1 price change, rates were hiked by Rs 1.46 a litre in the case of petrol and Rs 1.53 per litre for diesel, excluding local levies, on November 16.
