Petrol price jumps to Rs 93.11/litre; diesel sold at Rs 86.64/litre in state

KOLKATA: The spiraling fuel price touched a new height as petrol and diesel were being sold at Rs 93.11 per litre and Rs 86.64 per litre respectively in the state on Sunday.

Like the rest of the country, the petrol and diesel prices in the state have gone up by Rs 2.49 per litre and Rs 3.03 per litre respectively since May 1. The prices of petrol and diesel started increasing since May 4 and May 5 after the declaration of election results. The results of Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Bengal and Puducherry were declared on May 2. On May 1, the price of petrol and diesel was Rs 90.62 per litre and Rs 83.61 per litre.

The experts in the field did not find any valid reason for the hike in the prices of petrol and diesel when the rates in the global market were not unstable.

The hike in fuel prices is leaving a deep impact on the lives of common people amid Covid pandemic. It is leading to price rise of essential commodities when there is lockdown in many states due to the second wave of the pandemic.

Besides common people, the refilling stations are also suffering as their sales have gone down with the increase in the prices. "There are around 700 small petrol pumps out of 2200 in the state. The smaller ones are facing the main problem and many may down their shutters as investment to run the business is going up every day for which many may not be able to sustain the situation," said Prasenjit Sen, Joint Secretary of West Bengal Petroleum Dealers' Association.