24 January 2023: Oil price steady today; Oil Minister Hardeep Puri requests companies to consider price reduction

24 January 2023: The oil rates held steady on the consecutive 246^th day on 24 January 2023, i.e. Tuesday. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman reduced the excise duty on petrol by Rs 8 per litre and on diesel by Rs 6 per litre across the country on May 21 last year. Ahead of the unchanged oil prices, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri has requested state-run oil companies to consider reducing fuel prices if global crude prices stabilize in the upcoming days and their losses were gone.

Oil Minister on Oil Prices

“I would request the oil companies (state-run fuel retailers) that in the coming days if international oil prices remain under control and their under-recoveries were gone they could look at reducing (fuel) prices a little,” the union minister said.

The oil minister said fuel prices have remained stable as the public sector retailers, as “good corporate citizens” decided against burdening consumers by raising pump rates. For good measure, Mr Puri added “the government did not ask them to hold the price. Pricing is decided by them. They don’t listen to me.” The government, he said, too had reduced excise duty twice to cumulatively bring down Central tax by Rs 13 and Rs 16 on petrol and diesel, respectively. “The states where BJP is in the government also reduced VAT but other states did not. Even today you will find a difference of Rs 10 (between prices in BJ and non-BJP ruled states),” he said.

Also Read: 23 January 2023: Petrol-Diesel rates remain unchanged since 7 months!

Fuel Rates In The Cities

Chennai: Petrol rate: Rs 102.63 per litre, Diesel rate: Rs 94.24 per litre

Kolkata: Petrol rate today: Rs 106.03 per litre, Diesel rate: Rs 92.76 per litre

Mumbai: Petrol rate: Rs 106.31 per litre, Diesel rate: Rs 94.27 per litre

Delhi: Petrol rate: Rs 96.72 per litre, Diesel rate: Rs 89.62 per litre

Bangalore: Petrol rate: Rs 101.94 per litre, Diesel rate: Rs 87.89 per litre

Lucknow: Petrol rate: Rs 96.57 per litre, Diesel rate: Rs 89.76 per litre

Noida: Petrol rate: Rs 96.79 per litre, Diesel rate: Rs 89.96 per litre

Gurugram: Petrol rate: Rs 97.18 per litre, Diesel rate: Rs 90.05 per litre

Chandigarh: Petrol rate: Rs 96.20 per litre, Diesel rate: Rs 84.26 per litre