As the BJP seeks to take credit for the drop in petrol and diesel prices, particularly in its Delhi election campaign, the Congress on Monday questioned why the reduction was not commensurate with the sharp fall in the price of international crude.
“Against the 50 per cent fall in international crude prices, petrol prices in India have been reduced only by 15.73 per cent and diesel by 11.38 per cent, much less than the 31.24 per cent reduction in aviation fuel, which is now cheaper than petrol,” Congress spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala said.
In a briefing on fuel prices, the Congress pointed out that international crude oil prices fell from $110.55 per barrel on May 26, 2014, to $56 per barrel on Monday. But the actual fall in the price of petrol was only Rs. 11.33 per litre and Rs. 6.49 per litre of diesel, Mr. Surjewala said.
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In the case of Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF), the drop was sharper from Rs. 76.24 per litre to Rs. 52.42 per litre.