ATF price cut by 4 pc; commercial LPG rate reduced marginally by Rs 1.5 per cylinder
New Delhi (PTI): Jet fuel or ATF price on Monday was cut by 4 per cent, the third straight monthly reduction, and commercial cooking gas (LPG) rates were marginally lowered by Rs 1.50 per 19-kg cylinder in line with international benchmarks.
However, the price of domestic LPG -- used in household kitchens for cooking purposes -- remained unchanged at Rs 903 per 14.2-kg cylinder.
Aviation turbine fuel (ATF) price was cut by Rs 4,162.5, or 3.9 per cent, in the national capital to Rs 101,993.17 per kl, according to price notifications of state-owned fuel retailers.
This is the third straight monthly reduction in jet fuel prices. ATF price was cut by almost 6 per cent (Rs 6,854.25 per kl) in November and by Rs 5,189.25, or 4.6 per cent, in December.
The three rounds of reduction have wiped away almost 45 per cent of the Rs 29,391.08 per kl increase in rates effected in four monthly tranches starting July 1.
The reduction in the price of jet fuel, which makes up for 40 per cent of an airline's operating cost, will ease the burden on already financially strained airlines.
Alongside, oil firms also reduced the price of commercial LPG - used in various establishments such as hotels and restaurants - by Rs 1.50.
A 19-kg commercial LPG cylinder will now cost Rs 1,755.50 in the national capital and Rs 1,708.50 in Mumbai.
The price hike follows a Rs 39.5 per cylinder reduction in rates effected on December 22.
State-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) revise cooking gas and ATF prices on the 1st of every month, based on the average international price in the previous month. The revision on December 22 was an outlier.
Petrol and diesel prices continued to remain on freeze for a record 21st month in a row. Petrol costs Rs 96.72 per litre in the national capital, and diesel costs Rs 89.62 per litre.
State-owned fuel retailers are supposed to revise petrol and diesel prices daily, based on a 15-day rolling average of benchmark international fuel prices, but they haven't done that since April 6, 2022.
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Nitish Kumar's son Nishant among 32 to take oath as Bihar ministers
Patna (PTI): In a major expansion of the Cabinet of Bihar's first BJP-led government, JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar's son Nishant Kumar and 31 others took oath as ministers on Thursday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Altogether 32 leaders, drawn from all constituents of the five-party NDA in the state, were administered the oath of office by Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain at a grand ceremony that was also attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Health Minister J P Nadda and BJP president Nitin Nabin.
Prominent inductees included Nishant Kumar, the son of JD(U) president Nitish Kumar, who stepped down as chief minister last month to enter the Rajya Sabha.
The BJP, which is the single largest party in the 243-member assembly with 89 MLAs, has 15 ministers, who took oath on Thursday.
Most of the inductees were those who were part of the Nitish Kumar cabinet formed in November last year after the NDA stormed back to power in the assembly polls.
The JD(U) is represented by a total of 15 ministers, 13 of whom took the oath at the Gandhi Maidan on Thursday. Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and Bijendra Prasad Yadav had taken oath in April along with Samrat Choudhary and were designated as deputy chief ministers.
Sanjay Kumar Singh and Sanjay Kumar Paswan, both from the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) headed by Union minister Chirag Paswan, are back as ministers, and so are Santosh Kumar Suman and Deepak Prakash, sons of Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi of the Hindustani Awam Morcha and Upendra Kushwaha of the Rashtriya Lok Morcha, respectively.
