11th increase in less than 2 weeks: Petrol at Rs 112.19/l

Kolkata: Petrol was sold at Rs 112.19 per litre and diesel at Rs 97.02 per litre on Sunday.

This is the 11th increase in prices since the ending of a four-and-half-month long hiatus in rate revision on March 22, 2022.

According to sources, petrol and diesel prices are likely to be Rs 113.45 and Rs 98.22 respectively on Monday with an increase of 42 paisa and 40 paisa per litre in comparison to Sunday.

On June 16, 2021 petrol price in Kolkata was Rs 96.58 per litre while on April 2 last year it was Rs 90.77 per litre. In around one-year petrol price has been hiked by about Rs 22.68 per litre.

Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leadership at Nodakhali under the Satgachia Assembly constituency in South 24-Parganas staged a unique protest on Sunday by setting fire to a vehicle belonging to one member of the party. The women joined the movement with brooms by hitting the car before setting it on fire.

The protesters burnt the effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and shouted slogans protesting against the hike in petrol and diesel price and also of cooking gas.

A protest rally was also brought out on Sunday morning from Shibpur tram depot to Howrah Maidan under the leadership of state Co-Operation minister Arup Roy.

Since March 22, petrol and diesel prices have risen cumulatively by around Rs 6.40-6.50 per litre (i.e., by 6.3 per cent and 7.1 per cent respectively), as of March 31.

Petroleum dealers are apprehending further increases in fuel prices because of the sharp jump in crude oil prices in international markets.

"Last year, during the Covid period, the Centre had increased the excise on diesel and petrol by Rs 13 and 10 respectively. During Diwali last year, it announced a reduction of Rs 10 on excise in diesel and Rs 5 in petrol which has effectively been no reduction in excise," pointed out a senior official of Petroleum Dealers Association.

Prasenjit Sen, joint secretary of the association said that the monthly investment for the small petrol pumps has increased to the tune of Rs 10 to 12 lakhs because of the price rise. "So, we are apprehending that 750 out of 2500 odd pumps across the city may close down with this everyday hike in price," he added.

Petrol prices on Sunday were above Rs 100 a litre mark in all major cities across the country after its rates and that of diesel were hiked by 80 paise a litre each — the 11th increase in less than two weeks that took the total to a record Rs 8 per litre.