New Delhi, July 13 : On an upward trajectory since July 5, petrol prices in the financial capital of the country crossed the Rs 84 per litre mark on Friday and was sold at Rs 84.14 a litre.

The cost of the fuel in Mumbai rose 17 paise from Rs 83.97 on Thursday, according to data from the Indian Oil Corp.

In the other major cities of Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai, petrol was sold at Rs 76.76, Rs 79.42 and Rs 79.67 per litre, up from Rs 76.59, Rs 79.26 and Rs 79.49 respectively on Thursday.

In Mumbai, along with the other metros prices rose to unprecedented levels in May, with the all time high being Rs 86.24, recorded on May 29. It had first touched the Rs 84 a litre level on May 20.

After a hiatus of around 36 days fuel prices started to rise on July 5. However, on July 10 and 11 prices were steady.

In tandem with petrol, the price of diesel also went up across the four metros. It was sold at Rs 68.43, Rs 70.98, Rs 72.61 and Rs 72.24 per litre in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai respectively, up from the previous levels of Rs 68.30, Rs 70.85, Rs 72.47 and Rs 72.10 per litre.

The high prices of diesel gain significance as it is used in the transportation of agriculture and food products, which in turn impacts the country's inflation rate.

The retail inflation in June, as released on Thursday, touched the 5 per cent mark, compared to 4.87 per cent in May, one of the reasons being the high fuel prices.

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.



Mumbai (PTI): Former Union minister Sharad Pawar on Monday said that he and nephew Ajit Pawar are together as a family, but made it clear that the latter was heading a different political party.

“Gharat tari ekatrach ahet (we are together at home least),” the veteran politician said at a press conference at Chiplun in coastal Konkan region.

He was responding to a query about the demand from “various quarters in the state” that the uncle-nephew duo should come together once again.

In July last year, Ajit Pawar broke away from his uncle to join the Eknath Shinde-led government in the state as deputy chief minister. Of late, there has been speculation over his continuation in the ruling alliance.

Asked about Ajit Pawar’s recent remarks the decision to make his wife Sunetra Pawar contest the Lok Sabha polls against Supriya Sule in Baramati was a mistake, the veteran politician said, “He is in a different party. Why should we comment on decisions taken by another party?”

Asked if the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance of NCP (SP), Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) had decided its chef ministerial face, Pawar said, “I don’t think that it is an urgent issue at the moment”.

When elections were held after the Emergency, Morarji Desai’s name as PM candidate was not disclosed before polling, he added.

“Our (MVA) attempt is to give a progressive alternative in Maharashtra with help of other parties like Samajwadi Party and Peasants and Workers Party,” he said.

“Our observation is that the people of Maharashtra have made up their mind to give us (MVA) a chance in the ensuing elections,” he said.

Asked about Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu’s claim that sub-standard ghee with 'animal fat' was used to make prasad laddoos at Tirupati temple during Jaganmohan Reddy's tenure as CM, Pawar said, “If anything was mixed, it is very wrong and action should be taken against those involved”.