According to data from the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC), an analytical arm of the oil ministry, fuel demand in the country fell by 5 per cent in November as compared to the same month last year.

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The consumption of fossil fuel in the country totalled 17.83 million tonnes, the data showed.

According to PPAC data, sales of petrol took a surge of 5.2 per cent as compared to last year stood at 2.67 million tonnes. Sales of Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or cooking gas increased by 3.5 per cent to 2.35 million tonnes, while naphtha sales surged 7.3 per cent to 1.35 million tonnes.

Meanwhile sales of bitumen which used for making roads, increased by 25.1 per cent, while fuel oil use edged up 4.4 per cent in November.

As fuel consumption which is a major pointer of fuel demand has decreased, the retail fuel prices in the country are highest since October 2018.

On Saturday, the price of petrol in Delhi was Rs 83.71 per litre and diesel was retailing at Rs 73.87 per litre. While in Mumbai, petrol retailed at Rs 90.34 and diesel at Rs 80.51 per litre. In Kolkata, petrol and diesel were sold at Rs 85.19 and 77.44 per litre.

India in October 2018, recorded an all-time high price of fuel oil in the country when the prices of international crude oil touched $81.03 per barrel.

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Following the surge in the price of crude oil, Petrol price had touched a record high of Rs 84 per litre in Delhi and Rs 91.34 in Mumbai on October 4, 2018. Diesel on that day had peaked to Rs 75.45 a litre in Delhi and Rs 80.10 in Mumbai.