New Delhi, May 23: Congress leader and former Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on Wednesday criticised the Centre for the fuel price hike and claimed that the rate can be reduced by Rs 25 per litre but the government is not doing it.

"It is possible to cut upto Rs 25 per litre, but the government will not. They will cheat the people by cutting price by Re 1 or Rs 2 per litre of petrol," he said over Twitter.

Across the four metropolitan cities, prices rose around 30 paise on Tuesday. In Delhi and Mumbai, the fuel was sold at Rs 76.87 and Rs 84.70 per litre, up from Rs Rs 76.57 and Rs 84.40 respectively on Monday.

"Bonanza to central government is Rs 25 on every litre of petrol. This money rightfully belongs to the average consumer.

"Central government saves Rs 15 on every litre of petrol due to fall in crude oil prices. It also puts additional tax of Rs 10 on every litre of petrol," he added.

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Bengaluru: The Kannada short film Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know, directed by Chidananda S. Naik, has officially qualified for the 2025 Academy Awards, announced the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Monday. The film has earned a spot in the Live Action Short Film category.

The film was produced by the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). Earlier this year, Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know won the first prize at the Cannes Film Festival’s La Cinef Selection, a platform for emerging filmmakers. The La Cinef Jury at Cannes lauded the film for its exceptional storytelling and direction, with the jury describing it as "an illumination that, from the depths of the night, shines with humour and a keen sense of direction."

Film director Naik stated, “I have aspired to tell this story for as long as I can remember. Our goal was to recreate the experience of not merely hearing these stories but of genuinely living them–an experience I hope resonates with audiences around the globe.”

The 15-minute film is based on Kannada folk tale about an old woman who steals the village rooster, leading to a cessation of sunlight and resulting in turmoil within the community. In an effort to restore order, a prophecy is invoked, resulting in the exile of the woman’s family as they undertake a desperate mission to retrieve the rooster.

The film’s team includes Suraj Thakur as the cinematographer, Manoj V. as the editor and Abhishek Kadam for sound design.

The 97th Academy Awards will take place in March 2025.