After fuel rates were hiked for the ninth day in a row, for the first time price of petrol crossed the Rs100 per litre mark in Rajasthan on Wednesday, 17 February, reported PTI.
According to a price notification of state-owned fuel retailers, petrol and diesel prices were increased by 25 paise per litre each.
In some states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, branded or additive-laced petrol that attracts higher taxes had crossed the Rs 100-mark. However, this is the first time that regular petrol crossed the Rs 100-mark.
On Wednesday, petrol price soared to Rs 100.13 a litre in Sriganganagar town of Rajasthan reported PTI.
Fuel prices differ from state to state depending on local taxes that are levied such as VAT and freight charges. Rajasthan levies the highest VAT on petrol in the country.
Post the price increase on Wednesday, petrol in Delhi is priced at Rs 89.54 per litre and diesel Rs 79.95. In Mumbai, petrol costs Rs 96 a litre and diesel was priced at Rs 86.98.
According to PTI, the record price in Rajasthan is despite the state government late last month cutting VAT on petrol and diesel by 2 percent.
The value-added tax (VAT) on petrol, after the cut, at 36 percent plus Rs 1.5 per litre road cess is still the highest in the country, reported PTI. The state levies 26 percent and Rs 1.75 per litre road cess on diesel. Diesel in Sriganganagar is priced at Rs 92.13 a litre.
In Madhya Pradesh’s Anuppur, petrol costs Rs 99.90 per litre and diesel, Rs 90.35. Branded petrol at Sriganganagar was priced at Rs 102.91 a litre and similar grade diesel at Rs 95.79.
In Delhi, branded petrol is priced at Rs 92.37 per litre and the similar grade diesel at Rs 83.24.
In the past nine days, prices have gone up by Rs 2.59 per litre for petrol and Rs 2.82 per litre for diesel.
Demanding an immediate cut in taxes to release the burden on the common man, other opposition parties including the Congress have opposed the price hike.
According to PTI reports, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had told the Parliament last week that the government is not considering a reduction in excise duty.
Central and state taxes make up for 60 percent of the retail selling price of petrol and over 54 percent of diesel.
Rs 32.90 per litre of excise duty is levied on petrol and Rs 31.80 a litre on diesel by the Union government.
Since mid-March 2020, retail petrol rates have risen by Rs 19.95 per litre. This happened after the government raised taxes by a record margin to mop up gains arising from fall in international oil prices, reported PTI.
Diesel rates have also gone up by Rs 17.66.
(With inputs from PTI)
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