Petro, diesel price hike breaking back of poor

Parigi:  The petroleum prices, which are on the rise, are breaking the back of the vehicle raiders for the past six months. With the latest increase in the prices, a liter of petrol now costs Rs 82.35, while the diesel is priced at Rs 74.28.

The oil companies are administering the hike on the consumers deftly through backdoor methods, it is alleged. The center reined in the prices of petroleum products for about 20 days in the light of elections to Karnataka. The hike in the prices of diesel left the farmers annoyed.  In the previous regime, a liter of diesel used to cost Rs 45. 

The Narendra Modi government did not pass on the benefit of petroleum prices reduction globally to the consumers. The oil companies which is used to review the petroleum prices once in a fortnight are now reviewing it on almost on a daily basis On an average, the petroleum prices were hiked daily ranging between `0paise and 90 paise. 

During the past one month, the hike in petroleum per liter was Rs 2.98, while that of diesel was Rs 3.46. The petroleum was sold on March 16 this year at Rs 59.62 while that of diesel was sold at Rs 49.99 a liter. Consumers have been questioning the Center why there was no GST on petroleum.

A vehicle raider Vamsi opined that it would be advisable to give up riding the motorcycle and start using bicycle. If the oil companies are hiking the prices as they liked, what the Center has been doing, he sought to know. 

Parigi lorry association vice-president MD Akbar said that no transport operator has been coming forward to increase their tariff in tune with the hiked diesel prices. He said that the association was forced to operate the lorry transport business with meager profits.  If the same trend were to continue, the lorry transport would be s to sustain losses. 

Another consumer Ravi called for the Center taking special initiative in controlling the hike. He said that the prices of petroleum products were hiked on account of the Center withdrawing subsidies on it. He urged the Center to slash the petroleum products’ prices. 

BY Mohammad Wajeed