New
Delhi: The government on Tuesday said that all steps
would be taken to minimise the burden on the common man
by considering reduction in duties.
"We are going through one of the worst crises in
international oil prices," petroleum minister Mani
Shankar Aiyar told the Lok Sabha during a discussion on
the rise in the prices of essential commodities, including
petroleum products. "We believe in equitable burden
sharing. A little bit by the consumer, a substantial chunk
by the government and the larger share on shoulders of
the oil firms," he said.
Aiyar said the oil prices shot up $18 in the last 14 months,
which was equivalent to the increase over eight year period
from 1996 to 2004.
Yet, the UPA government increased petrol prices by mere
Rs7 as against NDA government's Rs16, PDS kerosene by
only four paise vis-a-vis NDA's Rs6.05, diesel by Rs6
as against NDA's Rs15 and LPG by Rs53 a cylinder as against
Rs145 a cylinder.
He
said the government had resorted to only modest increase
and oil companies absorbed a sizeable amount despite a
whopping 164 per cent rise in crude oil prices, 177 per
cent in petrol, 203 per cent in diesel and 218 per cent
in case of kerosene and 108 per cent for LPG in the last
three years.
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