Over the years, while crude oil prices have decreased to $63 per barrel, petrol prices have been on the rise in India, and is nearing Rs 100/litre in many parts of the country.
In the last 12 days, the price has gone up by Rs 3.63 per litre for petrol, while the diesel rate has risen by Rs 3.84 a litre. In some cities, petrol has already crossed Rs 100-mark per litre.
On Saturday, 20 February, Petrol prices again rose by 39 paise, taking the rate past Rs 90 per litre in the national capital. Diesel, meanwhile, was selling at Rs 80.97 per litre after a hike of 37 paise.
In Mumbai, petrol prices are just Rs 3 per litre (Rs 97 per litre), short of touching the three-digit mark of Rs 100 per litre for the very first time ever.
When the Modi government came to power for the first time in June 2014, the price of crude oil was $ 93 per barrel in the global market and so petrol was Rs 71/litre and diesel close to Rs 57/litre.
But seven years later, the price of crude oil has gradually reduced by $ 30 to $ 63 per barrel, yet India has been seeing a continuous rise in the price of petrol/diesel.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Congress Committee (MPCC) chief Nana Patole on Thursday, 18 February, took a swipe at actors Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay Kumar for not taking a stand on the issue of petrol prices crossing Rs 100 in some places, even though they had tweeted about rise in fuel prices during the UPA government.
The Congress leader, according to PTI, urged the actors to protest the Central government’s “anti-national policy” just as they had done during Manmohan Singh’s tenure, and also said: “If they do not take a stand now on the injustice meted out by the Modi government, we will not let any films [screening] or shootings of Amitabh Bachchan or Akshay Kumar in Maharashtra.”
So all in all, maybe it’s a good thing that your child is speaking up about rising petrol prices. Even if it’s over spilt milk.
(Kaafi Real is a series of cartoons on The Quint. You can check out all our other Kaafi Real cartoons here.)
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