LUCKNOW: Petrol price breached Rs 100/litre mark for the first time in the city on Friday, leaving people high and dry.
The rise in petrol and diesel prices also triggered apprehensions about burgeoning inflation which may lead to hike in prices of other essential items during the ongoing festival season.
In the last nine months, the rates of petrol and diesel have gone up by 15-16%. While petrol touched Rs 100.60 per litre, diesel was sold at Rs 92.55 per litre.
People complained that their income had declined due to the pandemic and inflation was forcing them to cut down on basic necessities including food, besides leaving them with no savings for the future. Rajiv Singh of Indiranagar said, “I work as a security guard and earn a meagre Rs 20,000 per month. It has become difficult to feed my family, forget about buying new things during festival. If inflation continued to rise, I will have to return to my village.”
Prakash Gupta of Alambagh, who owns a garment store, said the government should do something about checking fuel price as it had amplified losses due to the pandemic. “We have stopped our outings and family gatherings as daily commutation has become dearer,” he said. Ajay Singh, a resident of Mahanagar, said petrol prices were higher than that of one gram of silver.
Vineeta Srivastava, a teacher who resides in Chowk, said: “Whether it is petrol, edible oil, LPG or vegetables, everything has become costlier with no savings.” Suresh Jain of Rajajipuram, said petrol price hike would lead to rise in the prices of all commodities. “This will rob us of celebrations this festive season,” he added.
