Govt trying best not to hike petro prices: Deora

Petroleum Minister Murli Deora said on Monday the Centre was trying its best not to increase the prices of petroleum products like petrol and diesel even though the international oil prices had registered an upward trend in the past few months.

"The international prices of oil have increased from $40 to about $62 a barrrel so that there is no question of reducing the prices of petrol and diesel," he told reporters in Surat.

"On the contarary, we are trying our level best to see that the prices of petroleum products like LPG, kerosene, diesel and petrol do not rise even as the prices of oil has been on the rise in the global market," said Deora who was in Surat to inspect the work on the Dahej-Uran gas pipeline and commissioning of 100

km of the pipeline between Dahej and Surat.

"In the last one year the prices of diesel and petrol has not been increased even though the oil companies have been registering losses," Deora added.

The United Progressive Alliance government, he said, will remain committed not to increase the prices of LPG and kerosene.

"When I took over charge as the petroluem minister, (Congress president) Sonia Gandhi had instructed me to see that the prices of kerosene and LPG are not increased as they are poor men's fuel.

"Nowhere in the world will you get kerosene for as low as Rs nine per litre," Deora said.