For the first time ever, the price of petrol crossed the â¹ 100 per litre mark in Rajasthan today after fuel rates were hiked for the ninth day in a row.
Petrol and diesel prices were increased by 25 paise per litre each, according to a price notification of state-owned fuel retailers.
While branded or additive-laced petrol, which attracts higher taxes, had crossed the â¹ 100-mark in some places in states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, this is the first time that regular petrol crossed the physiological mark.
In Sriganganagar town of Rajasthan, petrol price soared to â¹ 100.13 a litre today.
Fuel prices differ from state to state depending on the incidence of local taxes such as VAT and freight charges. Rajasthan levies the highest VAT on petrol in the country.
After Wednesday's price increase, petrol in Delhi cost â¹ 89.54 per litre and diesel â¹ 79.95.
In Mumbai, petrol price rose to â¹ 96 a litre and diesel was priced at â¹ 86.98.
The record price in Rajasthan is despite the state government late last month cutting VAT on petrol and diesel by 2 per cent.
The value-added tax (VAT) on petrol, after the cut, at 36 per cent plus â¹ 1.5 per litre road cess is still the highest in the country. On diesel, the state levies 26 per cent and â¹ 1.75 per litre road cess.
Diesel in Sriganganagar is priced at 92.13 a litre.
In Anuppur of Madhya Pradesh, petrol is priced at 99.90 per litre and diesel at â¹ 90.35.
Branded petrol at Sriganganagar was priced at â¹ 102.91 a litre and similar grade diesel at â¹ 95.79.
Branded petrol is priced at â¹ 92.37 per litre in Delhi and the same grade diesel at â¹ 83.24.
In nine straight days, prices have gone up by â¹ 2.59 per litre for petrol and â¹ 2.82 per litre for diesel.
The relentless hike in prices has been criticised by the opposition parties including the 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 â¹ 32.90 per litre of excise duty on petrol and â¹ 31.80 a litre on diesel.
Retail petrol rates have risen by â¹ 19.95 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 â¹ 17.66.