New Delhi/ Bhubaneswar, July 25: Prices of petrol, diesel and domestic gas cylinders were today lowered in Odisha as state-owned oil firms “recalibrated” rates to reflect changes in local levies.
While the petrol price is down by 61 paise per litre, the diesel price nudged down by 38 paise per litre. The price of LPG cylinder also dropped by Rs 4. The revised rate for petrol in Bhubaneswar is Rs 68.32 per litre, a drop from the earlier price of Rs 68.93. Diesel is now available at Rs 43.67 per litre instead of Rs 44.05 per litre.
In Cuttack, petrol costs Rs 68.25 per litre instead of Rs 68.87 and diesel Rs 43.62 per litre, a drop from the earlier rate of Rs 44.01. Similarly, an LPG cylinder will cost Rs 411 instead of Rs 415.
General president of the Utkal Petroleum Association Sanjay Lath said: “Prices in Odisha have come down following a recalibration of surcharges. It has been done under a scheme to compensate retailers for irrecoverable taxes such as entry tax on crude, surcharge on sales tax and sales tax on inter-company sales of product levied by the state government. It is a very complex calculation. The fuel retailers and cooking gas agencies would now review the surcharge regime each quarter.”
Consumers, however, are happy with the drop. “It is such an essential commodity that even the hike of a paisa affects of our budget. So, a drop is always welcome,” said Suhasini Mishra, a home-maker.
While Odisha today saw a drop in petrol and diesel prices, fuel rates went up in seven states. While domestic LPG prices has increased in six states, it has come down in 12 states, including Bengal and Odisha.
This revision in prices is an outcome of the “recalibration” — adjustments to reflect changes in state levies — done in line with an agreement between the Centre and the state-run oil firms in 2003, when the BJP was in power at the Centre.
The retailers would now review the surcharge regime every quarter, Indian Oil said.
Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee hit out at the hike, terming it “unfortunate, wrong and suo motu”. Back in Calcutta from the swearing-in ceremony of Pranab Mukherjee as President, she demanded a rollback of the increase.
