Soaring fuel prices vex Shillongites

SHILLONG: At a time when Shillong is slowly limping back to normalcy and recovering from months-long lockdown, the prices of petroleum products in the state are soaring higher and higher with each passing day.
From the petrol pump owners in the city to consumers, everyone has a take on this phenomenon. While some explain the most-probable reason behind it, others lament the very idea of hiking fuel rates.
Sanchet Sureka, owner of the petrol pump at Malki, while talking about the trend in prices, said that the central government is shooting up the rates since petroleum along with liquor are the two sectors generating revenue right now.
He said that the prices are being increased every day since June 7.
Not entirely blaming the Centre for the fuel price hike, Sureka said the state government has hiked its taxes from 22 to 31 per cent in petrol and Xtra premium, while also raising taxes from 13.5 to 22.5 per cent in diesel prices.
Meanwhile, some consumers lamented that petrol prices are being increased despite the decline in international oil prices.
Stating that the Centre probably wants to balance the country’s economy by swelling the price of petrol, a consumer, Praveen Kumar, said that such measures will bring extra burden, especially on common man, as people are trying to rebuild their financial capacities.
Moreover, a local cab driver, too, lamented the inflation in fuel prices which, according to him, is taking a toll on the driver community, especially now when restrictions are put on the number of passengers due to the pandemic.
Petrol price in Shillong was hiked to Rs 83.16 per litre on Monday.
The price of diesel in the city stood at Rs 76.57 per litre, while one litre of Xtra premium was sold for Rs 86.85 per litre across the city petrol pumps.
The petrol price in Shillong on June 6 was Rs 74.61 per litre and the price of diesel on the same day was Rs 67.45, while the price of Xtra premium was Rs 78.30 per litre.