As government ponders on fuel prices, petrol hits Rs 85 in Mumbai
New Delhi, May 24: Even as the central government discusses measures to curb the persistent rise in domestic transport fuel prices, the petrol cost in Mumbai breached the Rs 85 a litre mark on Thursday.
The price of the fuel is already at an all-time high in Mumbai at Rs 85.29 per litre along with Delhi and Chennai.
In Delhi and Chennai, petrol was sold for Rs 77.47 and Rs 80.42 per litre respectively, according to data on the website of Indian Oil Corp.
On Wednesday, following a Cabinet meeting, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that high transport fuel cost is a matter of both concern and discussion and that government is trying to find a long-term solution to the problem which has arisen out of global crude oil price volatility.
"The issue of the frequent hike in fuel prices has become a matter of discussion and concern and the government is involved in the whole process of concern and uncertainty," Prasad said.
"In view of the global uncertainty on oil prices, the government is looking at the desirability of taking a long-term view to deal with the issue of volatility and the frequent ambiguity arising out of the fluctuation in prices."
On Thursday, Kolkata joined the club of cities with petrol prices over Rs 80 per litre, at Rs 80.12, the highest in nearly four years.
The persistent rise in transport fuel prices in the country is largely attributed to the surge in crude oil prices and high excise duty. The price of Brent crude oil is currently over $79 per barrel.
In addition, diesel prices, which have already reached unprecedented levels, set new records across the country. In Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai, it was sold at Rs 68.53, Rs 71.08, Rs 72.96 and Rs 72.35 per litre respectively.
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Women's quota bill would have ensured defeat of democracy, Constitution: Aaditya Thackeray
Mumbai (PTI): Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday said that the passage of the women's quota bill would have ensured a "total defeat of democracy", alleging that the legislation, linked with a delimitation exercise, was a political tool designed to reduce the voice of states.
Thackeray, in a post on X, claimed that the Bill would have amended the Constitution for the political means of the ruling regime to increase seats, reduce the voice of many states and enable the gerrymandering of constituencies to ensure unfair victories.
"The very amendment that would have ensured the total defeat of democracy and the Constitution in India stands rejected by the unity of the Opposition MPs," he wrote.
The legislation should have been called "Delimitation to ensure unfair victory Bill", the former minister said, adding that there was a genuine need to enable 33 per cent reservation for women in the current number of seats.
"Now, it is up to the government to ensure that it is implemented in the 543 seats of the Lok Sabha for the 2029 elections and all elections across India, if that is the real intent of the government," he wrote.
A Constitution Amendment Bill to implement reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and increase the number of Lok Sabha seats was defeated on Friday in the Lower House.
While 298 members voted in support of the Bill, 230 MPs voted against it. Out of 528 members who voted, the Bill required 352 votes for a two-thirds majority.
According to the Constitution Amendment Bill, Lok Sabha seats were to be increased to a maximum of 850 from the current 543 to "operationalise" the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.
