Fuel Prices Hiked For 10th Day Running, Sonia Gandhi Writes To PM Demanding Rollback

On the tenth consecutive hikes in fuel prices, Congress President Sonia Gandhi has questioned the government. She said the Government has earned an additional revenue of Rs 2.6 lakh crore rupees during the lockdown through these "ill-advised" hikes in excise duty and increasing prices of petrol and diesel.

“I am deeply distressed that in these exceedingly difficult times since the beginning of March, the government has taken the wholly insensitive decision to increase petrol and diesel prices on no less than ten separate occasions,” Gandhi said in her letter to PM Modi demanding rollback of increased prices.

Sonia Gandhi said, “I see no logic in why the Government would even consider such a price increase at a time when the economic impact of COVID-19 is depriving millions of jobs and livelihood…”

Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi writes to the Prime Minister urging the govt to immediately roll back hikes on fuel prices & pass the benefit of low crude oil prices to the citizens. pic.twitter.com/NQstx7v5Ac

— Congress (@INCIndia) June 16, 2020

She added, “…despite historically low prices over the last six years, your government’s revenues have been massively enriched by the cumulative increase in excise duty on petrol and diesel on twelve different occasions.”

“This translates into a 258% increase in excise on petrol and 820% hike in excise duty on diesel yielding in these six years a staggering Rs 18 lakh crore from excise collection on petrol and diesel alone,” the letter said.

“I urge you to roll back these increases and pass on the benefit of low oil prices directly to the citizens of this country,” the Congress President said.

In the last 10 days, petrol and diesel prices have been hiked by over Rs 5 per litre.

Oil companies continued to hike fuel prices for the tenth day. On Tuesday, petrol was raised by 47 paise and diesel was up by 57 paise. After the increased prices, a litre of petrol in Delhi cost Rs 76.73, while diesel is sold at Rs 75.19 per litre.

Earlier on Monday, oil companies hiked petrol by 48 paise and diesel by 59 paise.

Apart from Delhi, the price of petrol in Kolkata is Rs 78.55 per litre and the price of diesel is Rs 70.84 per litre. One litre of petrol in Chennai is priced at Rs 80.37 and diesel at Rs 73.17. Similarly, petrol in Mumbai cost at Rs 83.62 per litre and diesel at Rs 73.75 per litre.

Oil companies continue to raise petrol-diesel prices for 1-th consecutive day. On Tuesday, 47 paise was increased on #petrol & 57 paise on #diesel. After increased prices, a liter of petrol in Delhi is being sold for Rs 76.73, while diesel at Rs 75.19 per litre pic.twitter.com/0o1eqaKhaK

— GoNewsIndia (@GoNews_India) June 16, 2020

Petrol-diesel prices have continued to rise for the last ten days. After the prices have been stable for six weeks, prices have been increasing continuously since June 6.

On June 5, petrol in Delhi was at Rs 71.26 per litre and diesel at Rs 69.39 per litre, but after 10 days, petrol has crossed Rs 76.