Petrol breaches Rs 90 mark for the first time in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: The price of petrol has crossed Rs 90 per litre for the first time in Kerala. Petrol now costs Rs 90.09 in Thiruvananthapuram after a 29 paise hike that came into effect on Thursday. The exact price of petrol in Parassala, a town near the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, was Rs 90.22.

The highest fuel price in Kerala is recorded in southernmost parts of Kerala here as the transportation costsare higher than in other parts.

The prices of petrol and diesel went up for the fifth consecutive day on Thursday. The price of diesel has been increased by 36 paise per litre.

In Kochi, the diesel price has touched Rs 82.66 per liter and petrol price has gone up to Rs 88.30 per liter.

With the oil marketing companies increasing the price frequently, petrol and diesel prices have been scaling new heights almost daily. The recent price hikes in India have been blamed on the crude oil prices that went past $60 a barrel in the international markets expecting a rebound in the global economy following the launch of COVID-19 vaccines.

The companies in India had halted increasing the prices after the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country and a lockdown was announced on March 24, 2020. They increased fuel prices for the first time after a gap of 83 days on June 6, 2020. On June 25, 2020, petrol price had crossed Rs 80 per litre.

Cong planning nationwide protest

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala on Friday said that the Congress is planning a nationwide protest against the increasing fuel prices.

Chennithala, who is leading the 'Aiswarya Kerala Yatra' to prepare the ground for Congress-led UDF ahead of the Assembly polls, urged the centre and state governments to lower the excise duty on diesel and petrol to ease the burden on the people.

"The Congress is planning an all India protest, if the prices of fuel continue to soar on an uncontrolled level," Chennithala told reporters here as he commenced today's yatra in Ernakulam district.

He alleged that the BJP-led government at the Centre and the LDF government in Kerala were indulging in profiteering instead of passing on benefits of low prices of crude oil to consumers by reducing the hiked rates of petrol-diesel-LPG gas.

The senior Congress leader said when the UPA government was in power, price of crude oil was $108 per barrel, but petrol and diesel was sold at a subsidised rate at Rs 71.41 and Rs 55.49 per litre.

"Now, the crude oil price is far less than the half of UPA rates but the Narendra Modi-led government has increased the prices of petrol-diesel sky high," Chennithala said.

He also urged the CPI(M)-led government in Kerala to reduce the tax levies on fuel to provide relief to the people of the state hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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