Fuel price reforms to continue: Moily

December 14, 2013

MoilyNew Delhi, Dec 14: Oil minister M Veerappa Moily on Friday allayed fears of an oil shock by way of hefty increase in diesel and cooking gas prices but said fuel pricing and other reforms in the oil sector would continue irrespective of the Congress's drubbing in the recent assembly polls.

A panel, under former Planning Commission member Kirit Parikh, has suggested raising prices of diesel by Rs 5 a litre and cooking gas by Rs 250 per cylinder and lower the annual cap on subsidized refills to six from nine as measures to cut fuel subsidy.

"Economically that is the right decision but how practical is it, how we can apply (it), which is something we have to take a view on. If the country has to go forward, reform is a must. But, the question is whether we can implement what has been recommended because we have to balance between the consumer (interest) and government revenue. A balanced view will be taken on the report," Moily said.

Moily said the 50 paise a litre hike would continue irrespective of the drubbing that Congress faced in the assembly elections. "Election results will not drive the UPA government or Congress to panic. Congress or UPA will not act in panic. These decisions have been taken in national interest and we will continue to act in best interest of the country and its people."

Without the phased adjustment in rates being effected, the country would not have money to buy raw material (crude oil) and there would be shortages of fuel across the country, he said.

Present pump price of diesel is Rs 9 less than production cost. It would take more that one-and-a-half years to wipe out this gap under the present policy of raising the price by 50 paise a litre every month. The gap has varied from Rs 14.5 per litre in mid-September to as low as Rs 3.5 in May.

The total under-recoveries, or revenue loss, on diesel and cooking fuel (LPG and kerosene) could be around Rs 147,500 crore, which could lead to the government exceeding the budgeted Rs 65,000 crore for total fuel subsidy burden for 2013-14.

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Agencies
June 14,2020

Kashmir, Jun 14: An Army personnel was killed and two others were injured as Pakistani troops opened fire and shelled areas along the Line of Control in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Sunday.

This is the third fatality in the Pakistani firing and shelling on forward posts and villages in the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri this month.

The officials said the latest firing and shelling from across the border took place in Shahpur-Kerni sector on Saturday night, drawing strong retaliation by the Indian Army.

Three Indian Army personnel were injured in the Pakistani firing and were immediately evacuated to hospital, where one of them succumbed to injuries, the officials said.

They said the casualties suffered by the Pakistani Army in the retaliatory action were not known immediately.

On June 4, havaldar P Mathiazhagan fell to Pakistani firing in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district, while on June 10, Naik Gurcharan Singh lost his life in a similar incident in Rajouri sector.

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News Network
March 25,2020

New Delhi, Mar 25: The government is likely to agree an economic stimulus package of more than Rs 1.5 lakh crore ($19.6 billion) to fight a downturn in the country that is currently locked down to stem the spread of coronavirus, two sources familiar with the matter told news agency.
The government has not yet finalised the package and discussions are ongoing between Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office, the finance ministry, and Reserve Bank of India (RBI), said both the sources, who asked not to be named as the matter was still under discussion.

One of the sources, a senior government official, said the stimulus plan could be as large as Rs 2.3 lakh crore, but final numbers were still in discussion.

The package could be announced by the end of the week, both sources added.

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News Network
February 18,2020

New Delhi, Feb 18: Election strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor on Tuesday questioned the Nitish Kumar government's development model, even as he sneered at the chief minister for making ideological compromises to stay in an alliance with the BJP.

Kishor, who has been vocal about his opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), said Kumar needs to spell out whether he is with the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi or those who support Nathu Ram Godse.

"Nitish ji has always said that he cannot leave the ideals of Gandhi, JP and Lohiya... At the same time, how can he be with the people who support the ideology of Godse? Both cannot go together. If you want to stay with the BJP, I don't have any problem with it but you cannot be on both sides," he said.

"There has been a lot of discussion between me and Nitish-ji on this. He has his thought process and I have mine. There have been differences between him and me that the ideologies of Godse and Gandhi cannot stand together. As the leader of the party you have to say which side you are on," he added.

In a direct assault on Kumar's model of governance, Kishor said Bihar was the poorest state in 2005 and continues to be so.

"There has been development in Bihar during the last 15 years, but the pace has not been as it should have," he added.

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