Awaiting a decision on diesel de-regulation, public sector oil marketing companies (OMCs) have put on hold diesel price cut by 35 paise, which if implemented would be the first rate cut in the span of five years. The PSU OMCs were contemplating to slash diesel prices on the back of falling global rates, with some reports even suggesting of these companies making a profit of 35 paisa per on every litre. Like diesel, state-owned oil companies also maintained a status quo stance of petrol rates which otherwise warranted a 54 paisa increase as its benchmark gasoline rates had firmed up in international market.
Diesel rates were last cut back on January 29, 2009 by Rs 2 to Rs 30.86 per litre. Since January 2013, diesel prices have been hiked nearly every month by 50 paise a litre. However, over the last 20 months, the prices have cumulatively gone up by Rs 11.81 per litre in 19 installments.
Diesel under-recoveries stood at Rs 62,827 crore for the 2013-14 fiscal, while these companies lost Rs 9037 crore on the sale of diesel in the first quarter, however these losses are expected to be significantly come down in the second quarter and will completely be wiped out by the next half of the fiscal once the diesel prices are de-regulated.
However, the country is expected to decide on whether to end government control of diesel pricing after elections in two states next month. Meanwhile, urging the government to seize the moment to eliminate diesel subsidies completely, the governor highlighted that lower oil price meant a lower current account deficit, lower oil subsidies and lower inflation. Besides, he also emphasized upon the falling oil prices as a good opportunity to the country for scrapping diesel subsidies.
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