PUNE: The state-owned oil marketing companies sold petrol at Rs90 per litre in Pune for the first time in more than two years on Tuesday, with the price of diesel touching almost Rs79 per litre.
Petroleum dealers said that a substantial drop was expected in the coming week due to global events. The price of petrol was up by 29 paise on Tuesday, with such high being reached for the first time since September 2018, petroleum dealers said. The diesel price per litre in Pune was up by 26 paise at Rs78.97, according to the All India Petrol Dealers Association (AIPDA).
Pune was not the only city in Maharashtra to bear the brunt of high fuel prices. While the price of petrol in Mumbai’s island city was Rs 90.34 per litre, it was the highest in the state at Rs92.76 per litre in Parbhani followed by Rs92.49 per litre at Nanded.
“The US had kept the barrel rates low for months due to the elections, but now the price of crude oil has gone up again, touching $50 per barrel. Supply was reduced globally by OPEC due to the collapse in demand for over eight months, which is also why the sudden surge in demand post-reopening caused prices to rise,” said Ali Daruwalla, national spokesperson, AIPDA.
“I need two-three litres of fuel everyday for my motorbike to make my rounds of delivery and the increase in fuel prices will reduce my income further,” said Rohan Jadhav, who works with two restaurant aggregators. “I hope the prices reduce soon. How can people afford to spend so muuch on fuel when incomes are down?” said Maniram Chaudhary, a grocery shopowner in Vadgaonsheri.