Deccan Herald : Jun 20, 2020, 03:05 PM
New Delhi: Petrol and diesel prices were hiked for the 14th straight day on Saturday after an 82-day hiatus from rate revision amidst the novel coronavirus pandemic. Petrol price was hiked by 51 paise per litre and diesel by 61 paise a litre in Delhi, taking the cumulative increase in rates to Rs 7.62 and Rs 8.28 per litre respectively in less than two weeks.Petrol price in Delhi was hiked to Rs 78.88 per litre from Rs 78.37, while diesel rates were increased to Rs 77.67 a litre from Rs 77.06, according to a price notification of state oil marketing companies.In Bengaluru, petrol will be costlier by 53 paise at Rs 81.44 per litre, while diesel will cost 58 paise more per litre at Rs 73.86.Rates have been increased across the country and vary from state to state depending on the incidence of local sales tax or VAT.The 14th daily increase in rates since oil companies on June 7 restarted revising prices in line with costs after ending an 82-day hiatus in rate revision, has taken diesel prices to new high. Petrol price too is at a two-year high.Prior to the current rally, diesel rate had touched a peak of Rs 75.69 per litre in Delhi on October 16, 2018.The highest-ever petrol price was on October 4, 2018, when rates soared to Rs 84 a litre in Delhi.When rates had peaked in October 2018, the government had cut excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 1.50 per litre each. State-owned oil companies were asked to absorb another Re 1 a litre to help cut retail rates by Rs 2.50 a litre.Oil companies had quickly recouped the Re 1 and the government in July 2019 raised excise duty by Rs 2 a litre.The 82-day freeze in rates this year was imposed in mid-March soon after the government hiked excise duty on petrol and diesel to shore up additional finances.The government on March 14 hiked excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 3 per litre each and then again on May 5 by a record Rs 10 per litre in case of petrol and Rs 13 on diesel. The two hikes gave the government Rs 2 lakh crore in additional tax revenues.Oil PSUs Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL), instead of passing on the excise duty hikes to customers, adjusted them against the fall in retail rates that was warranted because of a decline in international oil prices to two-decade lows.International oil prices have since rebounded and oil firms are now adjusting retail rates in line with them.In 14 hikes, petrol price has gone up by Rs 7.62 per litre and diesel by Rs 8.28 a litre.