Fuel Price Hike: Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Claims Rates Will Come Down Post Winter

"It is an international matter, price is high due to increase in demand, it happens in winter. It will come down as the season ends," Union Minister said. 

(Representative Image/ Getty)

New Delhi: Amid the nationwide concern and protests over the fule price rise, Union Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday assured that cost of petrol, diesel and other fuels will come down as the winter season ends. The unexpected rise in fuel prices in the previous weeks has taken petrol to cross historic high levels of Rs 100 a litre in several cities across the country.

Both petrol and diesel prices have increased 25 times in 2021 with the two auto fuels increasing by Rs 7.22 and Rs 7.45 per litre respectively so far this year.

While speaking to news agency ANI said that increase in petroleum price in international market has affected consumers and rates are expected come down a little as winter goes away.

"It is an international matter, price is high due to increase in demand, it happens in winter. It will come down as the season ends," Union Minister said. 

Further in his interaction, Pradhan also explained as to why the North-eastern Region (NER) which includes Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim are important for oil and gas sector of the country.

"The first oil deposits in the country were discovered near the town of Digboi and Duliajan areas of Assam and around 18 per cent of the country's oil resources are located in the northeast east region (NER). Assam, Arunachal, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura are the areas that are full of oil and gas fields. When the Modi government came in power in 2014 we decided to create an infrastructure of the crude pipeline, gas pipeline, increase our exploration, refining and gas production capacity," the minister said. 

Meanwhile, Opposition parties, mainly Congress has slammed Centre for the steep hike in fuel prices in the recent past with a slogan: "Hum Do Hamare Do, Diesel Nabbe Petrol Sau".

On Friday, Oil marketing companies in the country continued with their "wait and watch strategy" and kept the retail price of petrol and diesel unchanged for the third consecutive day. Currently, petrol is being sold at Rs 90.93 a litre and diesel at Rs 81.32 a litre in the national capital.

(With inputs from agencies)