Guwahati:
Petrol prices in Guwahati, the northeast's largest city, almost crosses the century mark. The petrol price today hiked to a whopping Rs. 92 per litre, with the premium price rising up to Rs. 95.
The price hike comes at a time when Assam is under a 16-hour long COVID-19 induced lockdown. Guwahati city is the largest contributor to the novel coronavirus cases in Assam.
Since June 1, the price of petrol and diesel has been raised five times. On June 1, the price of a litre of petrol was Rs 90.20, compared to Rs 87.14 on May 1. Similarly, one litre of diesel cost Rs 85.23 on June 1 compared to Rs 81.33 on May 1.
The nearest location for Guwahatians to procure fuel at a different cost is from nearby areas lying in the Meghalaya state jurisdiction. As of 12-Jun-21, the price of petrol in Meghalaya is Rs. 91.55 and diesel is Rs. 85.77 a litre.
Uncontrolled fuel costs have sparked outrage across the political and apolitical spectrums of society.
On Friday, the Assam Congress conducted a nationwide protest against the increase in fuel prices. The party questioned the government's inaction in curbing the skyrocketing cost of petrol and household goods.
As of June 2017, petrol prices in India are updated on a daily basis, a practice known as the dynamic fuel pricing mechanism. Every day at 6:00 a.m., the price of petrol and diesel is changed. Prior to this, prices were updated every two weeks. The price of gasoline is affected by a number of things. These include the rupee-to-US-dollar exchange rate, crude oil prices, global signals, petroleum demand, and so on. When world crude oil prices rise, so do prices in India. The cost of fuel comprises excise duty, value-added tax (VAT), and dealer commission. The rate of VAT varies per state. When excise duty, dealer commission, and VAT are included, the retail selling price of petrol practically doubles.
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