When price is low in int'l market, why are rates being hiked, asks TMC
Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers staged a demonstration to protest against the hike in the prices of petrol and diesel for the 19th consecutive day on Thursday.
The agitators put up a road block on Howrah bridge and shouted anti-Centre slogans. The agitators said the spiraling hike of fuel price has affected the middle class badly. The prices of petrol and diesel have reached Rs 81.61 and Rs 75. 18 the highest ever in Kolkata on Thursday.
Slamming the Centre for making the common man a soft target to cover up its financial bankruptcy Samir Chakraborty, Trinammol MLA said: "By rising the price of fuel at a time when its price has gone down in the international market the Centre has actually cheated the people of the country." Giving statistical data Chakraborty said in March when fuel was being sold at $ 51.09 per barrel in the international market, the price of petrol and diesel was Rs 74.09 and Rs 66.04 respectively. In April when a barrel was sold at $ 24.74 in the international market, the prices of petrol and diesel were Rs 73.20 and Rs 65.60 respectively. The situation became so bad in the international market that Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC )had decided to stop production in April. In May, the price of a barrel went upto $ 51.09 in the international market. During this period, petrol and diesel were sold at Rs 73.30 and Rs 65.60 per litre. In May a barrel of fuel in international market was sold for $ 26.54 while in the country petrol and diesel were sold at Rs 73.30 and Rs 65.60 per litre. In June, a barrel of fuel is being sold at $ 38.32 while petrol and diesel were being sold at Rs 73.30 and Rs 65. 60 in early June. In the past 19 days there has been no hike in the price of a barrel of fuel in the international market while in the country petrol and diesel have touched an all time record of Rs 81. 61 and Rs 75. 18 per litre.
Chakraborty said even in Pakisthan, the prices of petrol and diesel per litre as per Indian currency are Rs 37.13 and Rs 34.52 respectively. In Bangladesh, petrol and diesel are being sold at Rs 80.13 and Rs 58.52 as per Indian currency respectively.
He said the sole purpose of the Centre is to harass the common people. " Once the prices of petrol and diesel go up, the prices of essential commodities to travelling will go up automatically and the people will have no other choice but to pay the every increasing price," he said.
Meanwhile, the petrol and diesel prices which stood at Rs 81.61 per litre and Rs 75.18 per litre on Thursday was Rs 73.30 and Rs 65.62 per litre 19 days ago.
The abnormal increase in the fuel prices mainly diesel is adversely affecting the daily life of people as prices of essential goods are skyrocketing.
This comes when the crude oil price in the international market stands at 41.50 US dollar.
Unlike Delhi, diesel price in Kolkata is lesser than petrol.
The reason being the state government collects less percentage of VAT considering its significance in terms of transporting essential commodities.
When the Centre is imposing excise duty of Rs 32 per litre and Rs 31.31 per litre on petrol and diesel respectively. While the state government imposes another 25 percent and 17 percent VAT on petrol and diesel respectively. On Thursday, the VAT on a litre of petrol and diesel was Rs 16 and Rs 14 respectively. Besides the excise duty and VAT, an additional cess of Re 1 gets imposed one each litre of both petrol and diesel.
Tushar Kanti Sen, President of West Bengal Petroleum Dealers Association, said: "We need to spend Rs 1.20 lakh extra to procure 12,000 litre diesel. It is becoming a menace for us as sale has dropped by around 70 percent. A petrol pump dealer gets commission of Rs 3.27 and Rs 2.17 for selling one litre petrol and diesel respectively."
