PURULIA: Diesel breached the century mark in Bengal for the first time as it sold across fuel bunks in Purulia for Rs 100.14 a litre on Friday. In Kolkata, the price was Rs 98.35.
Sources in oil companies said higher freight costs in Purulia had pushed the price beyond Rs 100, as the nearest depot in Durgapur’s Rajbandh was 166km away. They said a price rise in Kolkata was inevitable.
Vice-president of West Bengal Petroleum Dealers’ Association Snehasish Bhowmik too blamed the distance between fuel loading points and fuel stations. “First, it was petrol; and now, even diesel has crossed the Rs 100 mark. It is extremely frustrating to witness this never-ending rise in fuel prices. The government should consider slashing taxes,” he said.
Madhusudan Shaw, who opened a BPCL fuel bunk in Purulia’s Jhalda barely three months ago, said business was very slow. “I am now seriously worried about paying off my debts,” he added. Abhedananda Mahato, who also runs a fuel station in Jhalda, said petrol sales had plummeted 30% in three months after the price tag hit Rs 100. “Now, the hike in diesel price will impact sales further.”
Fuel prices in the country have been touching record levels since April this year. While diesel sold at Rs 77.41 at the start of 2021 and saw a Rs 6 rise in the first four months, the price shot up by Rs 15 per litre in the next six months. And, it is likely to climb further, according to fuel station operators.
Globally, crude prices have breached multi-year highs following an energy supply crunch. However, oil prices dropped in the international market on Friday with benchmark Brent crude selling at $84.13. Brent had touched a three-year high of $86.10 on Thursday, but then dipped on Friday in the first weekly fall since September 3.
