Petrol Price Inches Closer to Rs 100 in MP District, Dealers Say People Travelling to Maharashtra for Fuel
News 18The soaring prices of petrol and diesel are squeezing the common man across the nation, but the people in Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh are shelling the most from their pockets for fuel. On Monday, the Naxal-affected district recorded one of the highest prices of petrol anywhere in the country at Rs 95.66 per litre, while branded petrol sold at Rs 99.31 a litre. Ajay Singh, president of MP Petrol Pump Dealers’ Association, told News18 that the state government had hiked petrol prices by around Rs 5 in two instalments while the Centre has revised excise duty on several occasions. “We live in vicinity of Maharashtra where the diesel is cheaper by around Rs four a litre so those buying fuel in bulk prefer going to Maharashtra,” Monu Khandelwal, district president of Petrol Pump Dealers’ Association of Balaghat told News18 over phone. He lambasted Congress party for double standard on the issue saying when in opposition the grand old party cried foul over fuel price hike and promised Rs 5 and Rs 3 a litre price cut in petrol and diesel respectively in MP ahead of 2018 assembly polls but did not lower prices after it came to power.