Wednesday, January 5, 2011

'OilMin not in favour of raising diesel, LPG prices'

STAFF WRITER 13:35 HRS IST

New Delhi, Jan 5 (PTI) Oil Minister Murli Deora today said his ministry is not in favour of raising diesel and domestic LPG prices as response to spurt in global crude oil prices, as the move will add to already high inflation rate.

"We are trying to see that we do not have to increase prices," he told reporters here.

Last week a meeting of the Empowered Group of Ministers headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was indefinitely postponed on Deora's insistence of not raising fuel prices just now.

"I don't think the EGoM should meet just now to decide on raising prices," Deora said today.

Others in the government have favoured raising fuel prices as a response to hardening of international crude oil rates to over USD 90 per barrel while Deora has preferred government subsidies to lessen burden on the common man.

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