ATF price hiked by steep 7.5%, commercial LPG rate cut by Rs 58.5
New Delhi, Jul 1 (PTI): The price of jet fuel (ATF) was sharply increased by 7.5 per cent on Tuesday, while the cost of LPG used in commercial establishments was reduced by Rs 58.50 per cylinder, reflecting shifts in international benchmark rates.
After three rounds of price cuts, aviation turbine fuel (ATF) price was increased by Rs 6,271.5 per kilolitre, or 7.5 per cent, to Rs 89,344.05 per kl in the national capital - home to one of the busiest airports in the country, according to state-owned fuel retailers.
The increase amounts to half of the total reduction implemented over three monthly installments since April.
ATF price was last reduced by Rs 2,414.25 per kl (2.82 per cent) to Rs 83,072.55 per kl on June 1. Prior to that, rates were cut by 4.4 per cent (Rs 3,954.38 per kl) on May 1 and a steep reduction of 6.15 per cent (Rs 5,870.54 per kl) on April 1.
The increase in ATF price is in line with the spurt in international oil rates that followed Israel's attack on Iran last month.
This increase will add to the burden on commercial airlines, for whom fuel makes up for almost 40 per cent of the operating cost.
No immediate comments could be obtained from the airlines on the impact of price hike.
The ATF price in Mumbai was hiked to Rs 83,549.23 per kl from Rs 77,602.73 per kl, while those in Chennai and Kolkata were increased to Rs 92,526.09 and Rs 92,705.74 per kl, respectively.
Rates differ from city to city depending on incidence of local taxes such as VAT.
Alongside, oil firms reduced the price of commercial LPG by Rs 58.5 per 19-kg cylinder. Commercial LPG now costs Rs 1,665 in the national capital and Rs 1,616.50 in Mumbai.
This is the fourth straight reduction in commercial LPG rates. Prices were last reduced by Rs 24 per 19-kg cylinder on June 1. Prior to that a Rs 14.50 cut on May 1 and a Rs 41 per cylinder reduction was effected on April 1. In all, prices have been cut by Rs 138 per bottle since April.
While oil prices have been on the boil, benchmark LPG rates have softened because of low demand during summer months.
Prices of ATF and LPG differ from state to state depending on the incidence of local taxes, including VAT.
The rate of cooking gas used in domestic households, however, remained unchanged at Rs 853 per 14.2-kg cylinder. The price of the domestic LPG was hiked by Rs 50 per cylinder in April.
State-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) revise prices of ATF and cooking gas on the first of every month based on the average price of benchmark international fuel and foreign exchange rate.
Domestic rates of petrol and diesel continue to remain frozen. Rates were cut by Rs 2 per litre in mid-March last year, ahead of the general elections. Petrol costs Rs 94.72 a litre in Delhi, while diesel is priced at Rs 87.62.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Porsche car crash case exposed systemic corruption: Pune police commissioner
Pune (PTI): The Porsche car crash case exposed "systemic corruption," but the Pune Police have successfully uncovered the nexus behind the replacement of the accused juvenile's blood samples with those of his mother, Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar said on Wednesday.
The case made national headlines after the high-end car allegedly driven by the 17-year-old boy in an inebriated state mowed down motorcycle-borne IT professionals Anish Awadhiya and Ashwini Costa in the Kalyani Nagar area on May 19 last year.
"Last year’s Porsche car crash case sparked widespread discussions about Pune’s deteriorating social culture, alleged police corruption, and several other issues. Amid all the criticism, one positive aspect stood out: the case exposed systemic corruption.
"It also demonstrated how the police, working within the same system, managed to uncover the entire nexus behind the replacement of the juvenile’s blood samples with those of his mother," Kumar said while addressing Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, an initiative aimed at raising awareness against drug addiction, organised at Modern College.
He added that the juvenile has been released since he was a minor.
"However, his mother has remained in jail for over a year, and his father continues to be behind bars. Doctors from Sassoon Hospital and others involved are also still in jail," Kumar said, adding that one mistake by a child, and an attempt by his parents to cover it up, destroyed an entire family.
He said the police will follow up on this case until every guilty person is punished.
Kumar also appealed to students to stay away from intoxicating substances and drugs.
"You are not only endangering your own life but also putting your entire family at risk," he said, urging the youth not to fall prey to harmful addictions.
"Instead, stand strong and act as a force to ensure that drug abuse is curbed in your surroundings. We assure you of full police support," he added.
He further stated that if youth from all colleges unite and decide to end this menace, "the day is not far when not even one gram of drug will be sold in the city".
The investigation into the car crash had revealed that the juvenile's blood samples were replaced with those of his mother.
The roles of Dr Ajay Taware, head of the forensic department, Medical Officer Shreehari Halnor, and a hospital staffer came under scrutiny.
While the mother is currently out on bail, the juvenile’s father, Sassoon Hospital doctors Taware and Halnor, staffer Atul Ghatkamble, two middlemen, Ashpak Makandar and Amar Gaikwad, and others remain in jail for the alleged blood sample swap.
