Prices of petrol crossed ₹95 a litre mark in many parts of the State on Friday. The previous revision of fuel prices by State-run oil marketing companies (OMCs) was on May 18.
In Madurai, petrol was sold at ₹95.14 a litre, in Cuddalore it was ₹95.10/litre, in Coimbatore it was ₹95.28, in Sankagiri it was ₹95.14. In Chennai city however, petrol was sold at ₹94.71 at Indian Oil bunks. “The reason for the price difference is the variation in transportation costs. Fuel outlets get their supply from different locations,” explained a dealer in Chennai.
At a time when OMCs including Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) have posted profits, consumers are questioning the reason for increasing fuel prices, especially during the pandemic.
IOC’s net profit for the year ended March 31 2021 was higher than the previous year mainly on account of higher inventory gain and higher petrochemical margin during current year. “This seems so unfair to the consumer, especially the ordinary man who spends a large percentage of his earnings on fuel. The DMK had promised to reduce fuel prices if it came to power. We hope the present State government will keep up its promise,” said consumer activist T. Sadagopan.
A dealer in the Western Region said that petrol bunks should be closed and only emergency vehicles should be allowed to refuel. “People are venturing out in their vehicles only because bunks are open. We are afraid that our staff will get COVID-19 and they are not being given priority in vaccination. Our income has come down due to extremely low sale volumes but expenses remain the same. And in the middle of all this, an oil major is pressurising us to give away free hand sanitisers to those who refuel for ₹1,000. They have dumped sanitisers worth ₹15,000 on many dealers,” he said.
