Wow Wednesday: Prices of Diesel, Petrol Slashed For The First Time Ever In Over A Year!

You may have heard a saying that there’s nothing as mentally draining and serious as a regular Monday morning. Then comes the day where one’s only just getting used to what’s clearly a busy week ahead: Tuesday. But then there’s always a bit of a respite that Wednesdays bring along, don’t you think? Now to put things into context, if you are a denizen of any among India’s thickly-populated, fast-paced, constantly-changing urban cities then you’ll probably know why this Wednesday, i.e., March the 24th is different!

Believe it or not but for the first time in a year, the prices of petrol and diesel have been slashed where it comes to all prominent urban Indian cities. As a matter of fact, the price of petrol, hitherto standing at a daunting 91.17 per litre (in rupees) was slashed to 90.99. And yet that’s not the complete picture: diesel, hitherto priced at 81.47 (where the price in Delhi is concerned) came down to 81.30 for the first time in months together.

Factually speaking, in these COVID-19 marred times where as it is, running one’s household comes with a great deal of challenges, with the facet of job-security standing on precarious grounds like never before, the last thing anyone desires is to see a surge in any cost directly associated with one’s living. And where it comes to rising costs, then the mounting pressure associated with fuel prices has been a dominant albeit painful discourse of our times (in modern India).

But that being said, at least, for a few days, one will now live with the relief that finally the government paid heed to the great nadir of the middle-class working Indian and slashed the petrol and diesel prices somewhat.

As it is, among the great troubles of everyday existence, coinciding with the COVID 19 pandemic times had been the constantly rising fuel prices, there being no relief whatsoever in the past twelve months.

Also Read: Subramanian Swamy Takes A Shot At The Fuel Prices Of India, Says Petrol @ Rs 93 in “Ram’s India!”

Perhaps that is why the sudden change that this Wednesday brought along was so richly and happily received. How else would you put it?

Furthermore, here’s what the noted NDTV news had to report on a matter that may surely have brought about a welcome change in things:

Rates have been reduced across the country and vary from state to state depending on the local incidence of taxation (VAT).

This is the first reduction in fuel prices in over a year. Prices were last reduced on March 16, 2020.

Despite bouts of rate freeze, prices had gone up by a record ₹ 21.58 per litre on petrol in the last one year. On diesel prices had increased by ₹ 19.18 a litre.

Now speaking of the acerbic fuel prices, one simply can’t ignore the plight of the city widely regarded as the financial capital of India- Mumbai. It mustn’t be forgotten that Mumbai’s challenge was even harder than the one endured by a Delhi, Chennai or Bangalore. And how’s that? Well, until the price cut intimation was made public, the price of petrol per litre was 97.57 (now reduced to 97.40) while the price of diesel was brought down to 88.42 (previously, 88.60).

That being said, one is free to wonder whether a reduction of what’s clearly no more than 17 paise (price of petrol) is a reduction in the first place? Still, not a bad start, ha?