Guwahati: Days after the completion of assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry, petrol prices have surged by Rs 3 per litre, breaching the Rs 100 mark, while diesel rates also shot up by over Rs 3 per litre. A similar trend was observed following the 2021 elections in these states and union territory.
The increase comes just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to conserve fuel by opting for public transport over private vehicles. Prices had remained stagnant between Rs 93 and Rs 99 for the last year before the hike on Friday.
Over the past year, petrol prices in Guwahati have increased by Rs 5.08 per litre. On May 15 last year, petrol was sold at Rs 96.13 per litre, which rose to Rs 101.21 on Friday. Similarly, diesel was priced at Rs 88.41 per litre on May 15 last year, now standing at Rs 92.5, marking a rise of Rs 4.09 per litre.
Currently, after the price hike, petrol is costliest in Lakhimpur district, where it is being sold at Rs 103.24 per litre. In contrast, the fuel is cheapest in Golaghat district at Rs 101.16 per litre.
An Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) official explained that fuel prices vary from district to district based on factors such as transportation cost, distance from refineries to supply locations, and crude oil prices. However, the official noted that the difference in fuel prices between districts is minimal, usually below one rupee, but may exceed Rs 1 when comparing different states.
It is worth mentioning that the Assam cabinet on Wednesday adopted austerity measures, including a ban on the purchase of new vehicles by any government offices and a ban on official foreign tours for at least the next six months.
A similar price-hike trend was observed in 2021. Petrol and diesel prices, which remained unchanged after the election dates for the aforementioned states and UT were announced, saw a surge soon after the elections concluded.
After petrol prices in Assam breached the Rs 100 mark in November 2021 following a hike, the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government, which was serving its first year in office, reduced VAT on petrol and diesel by Rs 7 per litre. This made petrol and diesel cheaper by Rs 7, following a Rs 5 and Rs 10 per litre cut in central excise duty, respectively. Assam had first cut VAT on petrol and diesel by Rs 5 per litre shortly before the assembly election dates were announced. After that November 2021 hike and VAT slash, petrol prices again breached the Rs 100 mark in March 2022.
