Petrol prices likely to be revised on Friday

New Delhi: Petrol prices may be revised on Friday with companies talking about a scope of cutting rates by Rs 1.50-1.60 a litre. On a day when BJP-led NDA and the Left parties called a Bharat Bandh against petrol price hike, the government appeared in no mood to announce a cut.

"To my mind, there will be no revision in rates tonight," a senior official at one of the three state-run fuel retailers said.

Indian Oil, Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum had over the past one week indicated of a scope of reducing rates from June 1.

On a day when opposition parties called a Bharat Bandh against the hike, the government appeared in no mood to announce a cut.

The three firms, as per practice, were to revise rates of petrol on Thursday based on average international oil price and rupee-US dollar exchange rate in the previous fortnight.

With international gasoline rates, against which petrol is benchmarked, falling to $114-115 from $124 (that was taken into account for the steep Rs 7.54 a litre hike effected from May 24), there existed a scope for reducing prices by Rs 1.50-1.60 a litre.

"If they (oil companies) would have reduced rates today, the Opposition would have gone to town claiming that their Bharat Bhandh was successful which forced the government to cut prices," an industry official said.

Sources said the oil companies may take a call tomorrow on the quantum of reduction considering that rupee has depreciated further against the US dollar - from Rs 53.17 to a dollar to Rs 55.30. Rupee depreciation raises cost of imports.

Every dollar fall in oil price should translates into a cut in product price by 33 paisa. But every time rupee depreciates against US dollar by Re one, it translates into a requirement to raise prices by 77 paisa.

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