AGARTALA, April 17 (TIWN): India's state-run oil marketing companies have reduced retail prices for petrol by Rs.0.80 a litre and retail price of diesel by Rs.1.30 a litre responding to lower crude oil prices.

The new rates would be effective from April 16. Prior to this, the oil marketing companies had cut price of petrol by 49 paisa and diesel by Rs 1.21 for every litre from April 2. 

Since last price change, the trend of international prices of petrol and diesel and INR-USD exchange rate warrant a further downward revision in prices, the impact of which is being passed on to the consumers with this price decrease.

But inspite of that the hue and cry for petrol continues in the State. Vehicle owners are seen standing in along queue for petrol. The dealers of the petrol pumps are not purchasing the maximum quantity of petrol from the leading oil agencies. The reason forecasted behind this, the rate of petrol gradually reduces down. Therefore, in order to purchase at minimum cost, they avoids maximum amount of purchase.

On the other part, taking the advantage by fully utilizing the scarcity by selling the petrol by black marketing. The petrol dealers of the State were emerging in a new trend which causes artificial petrol crisis in the State. Inspite of the crisis of petrol, the concerning authority had not taken yet any proper steps to purchase oil from other oil corporation except IOCL. The State Government did not pay attention to solve the problem. This emerging trend leads to the petrol crisis in the State.