Private petrol companies started robbing consumers, raising the price of diesel directly by Rs 31
Petrol Diesel Price Hike: Private companies are allowed to charge exorbitant prices instead of providing the required quantity of petrol-diesel. As soon as the price was discounted, the private companies started robbing the customers. A decision by the government has led private petrol companies to start arbitrarily charging exorbitant diesel prices from consumers.
Patel / Ahmedabad: The flames of the Russia-Ukraine war are still rife with rising prices on many items. The one that has been hit the hardest by this war is petrol-diesel prices. Petrol-diesel prices have skyrocketed since the war began. In this, private companies are robbing consumers by raising prices as they see fit. Inflation on the one hand, and petrol-diesel prices on the other. Where the price of diesel at the pumps of government companies and private companies is around 25 to 31 rupees. This is due to a circular issued by the government.
In Ahmedabad, the price of diesel has reached a historic high of Rs 125. So the price of petrol is also more than 105. But one thing that stands out in the midst of this price hike is that there has been a big price change at private pumps and government pumps. There is a big difference of Rs 31 in the price of diesel between government and private companies. Prices are similar at state-owned HP, BPCL, Indian Oil, but higher prices are being charged at petrol pumps of Shell, Naira and Reliance. Say customers are being routinely robbed. ZEE tried 24 hours to find out why. In which a shocking reason came up.
Private companies have started charging higher prices than government companies. Why have private companies started this arbitrariness? Amid shortage of petrol and diesel, private companies have gone berserk. Behind which is the USO declared by the Government of India. A circular from the Government of India has given permission to private petroleum companies to charge a favorable price. The government has issued USO orders for companies following the recent diesel-petrol shortage at pumps. Under this USO it is mandatory to keep quantity at petrol pump. At the same time, private companies are allowed to charge exorbitant prices for providing the required quantity. As soon as the price is discounted, the private companies start robbing the customers.
As far as private companies are concerned, diesel is being charged Rs 3 more at Naira’s pumps. Naira is selling diesel at Rs 97.18. So the shell company has directly hiked the price of diesel by Rs 31.
Arvind Thackeray, president of the Federation of Gujarat Petroleum Dealers Association, said the reason for this was that the Russia-Ukraine war was still affecting India. Due to this and insufficient supply of petroleum, crude oil prices have gone up. Prices have skyrocketed since OPEC did not agree to cut prices. The government has announced the USO to alleviate the fuel shortage at petrol pumps. That is why there is a huge difference in prices at petrol pumps of private and government companies. Diesel is as expensive as Rs 5 to Rs 31 in a private company as compared to a government company. It will take another two months for the crude purchased by India from Russia to arrive. Until then such a situation will remain.
What is USO (Universal Service Order)
Recently, the government took action after petrol pumps were closed due to shortage of petrol and diesel. Private companies were shutting down petrol pumps to avoid losses. To prevent this, the government has expanded the scope of the Universal Service Obligation (USO). Accordingly, companies which have obtained petrol pump licenses will have to sell oil at all their petrol pumps for a certain period of time i.e. during scheduled working hours. Even petrol pumps should not be in remote areas. Private petrol pumps will now have to sell oil in all circumstances. Even if it’s only for a few hours. As per the instructions issued by the Ministry of Oil, all petrol pumps have been included in the jurisdiction of USO. After this now any company has got license for retail sale of petrol and diesel. It will have to sell oil at all its retail outlets. Failure to do so may result in revocation of their license.
