New Delhi, June 30 (PTI) The government has hiked petrol and diesel prices by a marginal Rs 0.27 a litre and Rs 0.15 per litre respectively following increase in the commission paid to petrol pump dealers. The government approved raising dealer’s commission paid on petrol from Rs 1.218 per kilolitre to Rs 1,499 per kl, resulting in a Rs 0.27 per litre increase in retail price with effect from midnight, an official said here. Similarly, the dealers’ commission on diesel was hiked from Rs 757 per kl to Rs 912 per kl, resulting in a Rs 0.15 per litre increase in rates at retail level.
Petrol, at present, is priced at Rs 63.37 per litre in Delhi and will from tomorrow cost Rs 63.64 per litre. Diesel, whose rates had last week been hiked by Rs 3 a litre, will cost Rs 41.27 per litre instead of 41.12 a litre.
The official said the increase in dealers’ commission is lower than 39.5 paisa hike recommended by an expert committee of the ministry of petroleum and natural gas.
Similarly, the increase in commission on diesel too is lower than 17 paisa per litre increase suggested by the committee which was headed by Apurva Chandra, joint secretary (marketing) in the ministry of petroleum and natural gas.
Government which shed crocodile tears when hiking the diesel, LPG, kerosene prices, waived partially custom levies, asked states to bring down their levies, etc, discreetly increase the Petrol and Diesel prices by 0.27 paise per litre (Petrol) and 0.15 per litre(Diesel) increasing the price of Petrol from the existing Rs 63.64 per litre at New Delhi to Rs 63.67 per litre and the prices of diesel which was Rs 41.12/litre to Rs 41.27/litre. This is to compensate the dealer towards commission paid to Petrol pumps.
On the same day when the Petrol/Diesel prices were raised, 0.25 paise coin was pulled out of circulation. When 25 paise ceases to be a coin, how would you pay a Petrol pump Rs 41.27 for a litre of diesel? Under recovery of 0.23 paise for the common man! Aam admi already reeling under the downgraded(government) inflation is seeing the Ram Rajya dispensation!