Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday acknowledged the rising fuel prices in the country, saying that people would like if they do not rise.
Petrol price was on Tuesday raised by 30 paise per litre and diesel by 35 paise, according to a price notification of state-owned fuel retailers. In Delhi, petrol now comes for Rs 89.29 per litre and diesel for Rs 79.70.
Petrol in Patna currently costs Rs 91.83 per litre and diesel is Rs 85.07 per litre.
Questioned by reporters over the rising fuel prices, Kumar said, "Everyone would like it if the prices do not rise but right now the prices are on a rise. Everybody can see that."
Watch his statement here:
The increase in petrol and diesel priced pushed retail rates, which differ from state to state depending on the incidence of local sales tax or VAT and freight charges, to their highest level. Petrol price has soared to Rs 99.87 per litre in Rajasthan - the highest level India has ever seen - as fuel prices were hiked for the eighth day in a row.
In Delhi, petrol now comes for Rs 89.29 per litre and diesel for Rs 79.70. In Mumbai, petrol price rose to Rs 95.75 a litre and diesel was priced at Rs 86.72.
Rajasthan, which levies the highest VAT on fuel in the country, had the highest petrol and diesel prices. In Sriganganagar town of the state, petrol soared to Rs 99.87 and diesel jumped to Rs 91.86 per litre.
In eight straight days, prices have gone up by Rs 2.34 per litre for petrol and Rs 2.57 for diesel.
The relentless hike in prices has been criticised by the opposition parties including Congress that has demanded an immediate cut in taxes to ease the burden on the common man.
Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan last week had told Parliament that the government is not considering a reduction in excise duty to cool rates from their record highs.
Central and state taxes make up for 60 per cent of the retail selling price of petrol and over 54 per cent of diesel.
The union government levies Rs 32.90 per litre of excise duty on petrol and Rs Rs 31.80 a litre on diesel.
Retail petrol rates have risen by Rs 19.7 per litre since mid-March 2020 after the government raised taxes by a record margin to mop up gains arising from fall in international oil prices. Diesel rates have gone up by Rs 17.41.
(With PTI inputs)