Diesel at record Rs 69.46 a litre

New Delhi: The price of diesel on Monday hit a record high of Rs 69.46 per litre while petrol rates inched towards Rs 78 a litre mark after a fall in rupee made imports costlier. Diesel price was on Monday hiked about 14 paise per litre and petrol by 13 paise, according to price notification of state-owned fuel retailers.

The increase pushed diesel price to its highest ever level of Rs 69.46 a litre in Delhi.

Fuel prices in Delhi are the cheapest in all metros and most state capitals due to lower sales tax or VAT. Diesel price had previously hit its highest level on May 29 when it reached Rs 69.31 a litre mark in Delhi.

Petrol in Delhi on Monday cost Rs 77.91 per litre. The rates are however lower than the peak hit on May 29 when they touched Rs Rs 78.43 a litre.

Fuel prices have been on the rise since August 16 after the rupee dipped to its lowest value against the dollar.

The rupee hit a record low of 70.32 in early trade that day. The petrol price has risen by Rs 0.77 a litre in Delhi in the last 12 days.

Oil PSUs had in mid-June last year dumped the 15-year practice of revising rates on 1st and 16th of every month in favour of daily price revisions.