A Rs 3 per litre hike in petrol and diesel prices by the Centre has left commuters, transporters, farmers and businessmen disappointed here.
Petrol costs at Rs 97.92 per litre in Panipat now and diesel Rs 90.39 per litre. Earlier, petrol was priced at Rs 94.93 per litre and diesel Rs 87.39 per litre.
People said the sudden hike in petrol and diesel prices will affect their daily budget. The hike would impact the price of daily goods, which would further affect common man.
Dharambir Malik, state president of All India Motor Transport Congress and district president of Panipat Transport Association, raised his concerns over the fuel price hike. Giving an example, Malik said a truck usually consumed approximately 1,000 litres of diesel for the Panipat-Mumbai trip. The cost has been increased to Rs 3,000 per trip. High toll tax rates would add to the cost. Despite this, the freight is not being increased in accordance with the fuel price hike, he said, adding that margin of the transporters would be reduced. Besides, the government has increased Green Tax from Rs 3,200 to Rs 5,200, Malik said.
Jitender Kumar, a resident of Panipat, said the fuel price hike will have an overall impact on people’s day-to-day life. Production and transportation costs will be increased, which will directly affect people, Batra said, adding this would also fuel inflation.
Haryana Chamber of Commerce and Industry Panipat Chapter chairman Vinod Dhamija and secretary Rajiv Aggarwal said the industry is facing its worst time right now. Due to the ongoing tensions in West Asia, hike in prices of raw material, gas and fuel and increase in wages by the government, the industry is facing a tough time, Dhamija added.
Sanjeev Chaudhary, president, Haryana Petroleum Dealers’ Association, claimed that all government oil agencies earned a huge profit when the crude price was at a lower level. The companies pocketed huge profit even in the first quarter, he added.
However, the oil companies have started raising concerns in the last one-and-a-half months due to the war, he said. Under their pressure, the government has hiked the fuel prices, which is a direct attack on the common man’s pocket, Chaudhary added. The companies didn’t pass on the profit to the common people, he said. Even the commission of the petroleum dealers was not revised after 2017, Chaudhary maintained.
