Petrol prices in Rajasthan’s Jaipur rose to ₹107.97 per litre, and diesel prices climbed to ₹93.23 per litre on Friday after the Centre hiked fuel prices by ₹3 per litre across the country amid the ongoing global energy crisis triggered by the West Asia conflict.
Following the hike, petrol prices in Jaipur increased by ₹3.25 from ₹104.72 per litre, while diesel prices rose by ₹3.02 from ₹90.21 per litre. In New Delhi, petrol prices rose from ₹94.77 to ₹97.77 per litre, while diesel prices increased from ₹87.67 to ₹90.67 per litre. The fuel price revision comes amid growing concerns over global energy supplies due to tensions in West Asia and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime trade route for crude oil transportation.
Brent crude oil prices have remained above $100 per barrel following the ongoing conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran since February this year. The widening regional conflict has impacted fuel markets as several West Asian countries are major energy suppliers.
Despite the global volatility, the Centre earlier maintained that India has sufficient fuel reserves and uninterrupted energy supplies. On May 12, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said India ensured stable fuel prices and uninterrupted energy supplies despite rising global crude prices and supply disruptions. The minister had said there had been no reports of fuel shortages in the country and that refineries were operating at optimum levels.
The decision comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently made seven appeals to citizens to strengthen economic resilience by reducing dependence on imported fuel and adopting environmentally sustainable alternatives amid the ongoing West Asia conflict. PM Modi urged people to prioritise work from home, reduce fuel consumption and avoid foreign travel for a year, adopt Swadeshi products, cut cooking oil usage, shift towards natural farming and curb gold purchases.
To tackle volatility in global fuel prices, the Prime Minister also called for changes in transportation habits. He appealed to citizens to reduce petrol and diesel consumption by using metro services and public transport wherever available, opting for carpooling when private vehicles are necessary, preferring railways for goods transportation and increasing the use of electric vehicles wherever possible.In line with the appeal, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday ordered curbs on the use of official vehicles by ministers, MLAs and other public representatives.She also urged Delhi residents to adopt carpooling and use public transport to reduce fuel consumption.