No respite for common man as petrol, diesel prices continue to surge

Petrol, Diesel Price Today: Fuel prices continue to rise for the third straight day on Friday, October 22, to hit fresh all-time highs.

Accordingly, the pump price of petrol in Delhi rose by 35 paise to its highest-ever level of ₹106.89 a litre while diesel prices also rose by the same margin to ₹95.62 a litre, according to a price notification of the state-owned fuel retailers.

Petrol now costs 35.3 per cent more than the price at which aviation turbine fuel (ATF or jet fuel) is sold to airlines. ATF in Delhi costs Rs 79,020.16 per kilo litre or roughly Rs 79 per litre.

In Mumbai, a litre of petrol now costs Rs 112.78, and diesel is sold at Rs 103.63 per litre. Petrol prices in Chennai moved closer to the Rs 104 per litre-mark and is currently sold at Rs 103.92 per litre; while diesel rates stood at Rs 99.92. Among the four metro cities, fuel rates are the highest in Mumbai, according to the state-run oil refiner. Fuel rates vary across the states due to value-added tax or VAT.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh minister Upendra Tiwari on Thursday sparked a controversy after stating that only a handful of people use four-wheelers and need petrol. He added that 95 per cent of the people do not need petrol.

"...Only a handful of people use 4-wheelers and need petrol. 95 per cent of people don't need petrol. Over 100 cr vaccine doses were administered free of cost to people...If you compare (fuel price) to per capita income, prices are very low now," ANI quoted Tiwari as saying.

Following the minister's remark, Samajwadi Party leader and former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav hit out at the BJP and said that even the minister won't need petrol now as people will make him walk after the next elections.