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Oil companies set to reduce petrol prices

[email protected] (TNN)
September 24, 2012

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Mumbai, September 24: Consumers may get some relief as oil marketing companies (OMCs) plan to revise petrol prices downward due to falling international crude oil prices and a strengthening rupee.

The Indian basket of crude oil fell to $106.74 on September 20 from $116 five days earlier, according to data published by the oil ministry. The rupee, which hit a four-month-high of 53.47 on September 21, is expected to strengthen further due to the reform measures the government announced last week.

Usually, each dollar fall in crude oil makes petrol cheaper by 33 paise. Similarly, a strengthening rupee would lead to a 77-paisa reduction in the price of petrol. "Logically yes, petrol prices should fall.

However, we have to wait for some more time before deciding to pass on the benefit to consumers," S Varadarajan, director (finance) at BPCL, told TOI. According to him, petrol is being sold at par - no profit, no loss.

The OMCs also plan to effect frequent revisions so that the price change is reflected in paise to soften the blow for consumers and avoid any political backlash. OMCs earlier used to revise petrol prices on the 1st and 16th of every month on the basis of average international oil prices and the foreign exchange rate in the previous fortnight. However, the practice was discontinued in late July in favour of revising rates on a random date to deter petrol pump dealers from building positions.

"In US, petrol prices are revised everyday at 3 pm. In many countries, it is revised on an hourly basis. We are trying to do it more often, maybe on a bi-weekly or weekly basis, so that the revision is in paise and the consumer is not burdened with a steep hike," BPCL chairman R K Singh told TOI. He added that the government has now given OMCs a free hand on deciding the quantum and timing of a petrol price hike.

Petrol was de-controlled in 2010 but the OMCs were not allowed to revise petrol prices. So they used to seek an unofficial nod from the government to pass on a hike to consumers. This led to $1 billion in losses for the OMCs till September 15.

IOC chairman R S Butola said, "The government has taken a bold step in revising diesel price, reducing duties on petrol and capping LPG cylinders to six per household every year. Now our pump prices are at par with petrol's cost, and we'd like to be at par because the loss on petrol is not compensated by the government."

Competition Commission of India (CCI) is reportedly likely to investigate into the alleged cartel-like behavior of OMCs increasing and decreasing prices of petrol in unison. "Petrol is a decontrolled product and we can't afford to make losses on it. We are answerable to our shareholders and the federal auditor," said an HPCL board member.


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Agencies
January 12,2020

Mumbai, Jan 12: Thousands of citizens on Sunday congregated in Mumbai's suburban Jogeshwari to oppose the new citizenship law, the proposed NRC and NPR.

They also condemned last Sunday's violence on the JNU campus in Delhi, where masked men ran riot and attacked students. Leftist organisations had claimed RSS-affiliated ABVP's role in the attack, a charge denied by the students' body.

Former Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS) general secretary Fahad Ahmed told PTI that they assembled under the aegis of 'Hum Bharat Ke Log' in Millat Nagar area.

"Prime minister Narendra Modi should call 56 students from across the country to debate on the CAA, NRC and NPR," Ahmed said in an apparent jibe at Modi's "56 inch chest" remark, which the latter had made ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

"Why the PM is not talking to us? Why is he not communicating? Even the Britishers used to talk to Indians whom they ruled, but our PM is not talking to poor people," he alleged.

Bollywood actor Sushasht Singh also spoke on the occasion.

"We are people of this country and such acts (CAA) are tarnishing the image of our country," he said.

At the gathering, people waved banners with slogans like "I Am From Gujarat, My Documents Burned in 2002", "No CAA, Boycott NRC, Stop Dividing India, Don't Divide us", "Save Constitution", written on them.

A large number of police personnel were present at the venue.

The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which was notified on January 10, grants Indian citizenship to non-Muslim minorities migrated to India from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh till December 31, 2014, following persecution over their faith.

Massive protests were witnessed against the CAA, mainly by the student community, since its passage by Parliament in December last year.

Opposition parties have been dubbing the CAA an "anti-Muslim" legislation, a charge being debunked by the government.

The Congress and other parties like the TMC have also opposed the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR).

Union home minister Amit Shah has said that the government won't rest until persecuted refugees are granted Indian citizenship.

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Agencies
July 30,2020

New Delhi, Jul 30: Even as COVID-19 cases continue to surge in various parts of India, more than 1 million people have recovered and discharged till now, informed Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary, Ministry of Health, here on Thursday.

"More than 1 million people have recovered from COVID-19 in the country. This landmark recovery has been achieved because of the selfless work and dedication of our doctors, nurses and frontline workers," Bhushan said at a press conference.

Giving the number of cured persons, Bhushan said, "More than 1,020,000 patients have recovered. They have been discharged. It is a great achievement."

He said, "The recovery rate has shown positive trends. It was 7.85 per cent in April and today it is 64.4 per cent, which is another heartening news which tells us that whatever battle is put by the Union government in collaboration with state governments is showing results."

"Sixteen states of the country have a recovery rate that is more than the national average. Of these, Delhi has a recovery rate of 88 per cent, Ladakh 80 per cent, Haryana 78 per cent, Assam 76 per cent, Telangana 74 per cent, Tamil Nadu & Gujarat 73 per cent, Rajasthan 70 per cent, Madhya Pradesh 69 per cent and Goa 68 per cent," Bhushan said.

He said effective clinical management lead to a decrease in case fatality rate. In June it was 3.33 per cent and now 2.21 per cent.

Bhushan said the case fatality rate in India today is 2.21 per cent and it's among the lowest in the world. Twenty-four states and Union Territories have lesser fatality rate than that of the country.

Herd immunity in a country of the size and population of India can not be a strategic option. It can only be achieved through immunisation.

"Over 18,190,000 tests have been conducted in the country including RT-PCR and rapid antigen tests. There has been a week-on-week increase in average tests per day. India is conducting 324 test per 10 lakhs population per day," Bhushan said.

He added, three vaccine candidates, are in phase 3 clinical trial. These three are in the US, UK and China. In India, two indigenously developed vaccine candidates are in phase I and II of clinical trials. 

Trial of the first vaccine involves 1,150 subjects at eight sites, second on 1,000 subjects at five sites.

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News Network
January 21,2020

Lucknow, Jan 21: Defending his brainchild, the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the new law will not be scrapped despite the countrywide protests against it.

Addressing a rally here to drum up support for the CAA, Shah also declared that construction of a Ram temple "touching the skies" in Ayodhya will begin within three months.

He said there is no provision in the amended law for taking anyone's citizenship away. "A canard is being spread against the CAA by the Congress, SP, BSP, and Trinamool Congress. The CAA is a law to grant citizenship," he added.

"I want to say that irrespective of the protests this will not be withdrawn," he added.

Shah challenged Congress leaders to hold a discussion with him on CAA at a public forum.

He named Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Party's Mayawati and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee while throwing the "challenge".

Congress has become blind due to vote bank politics,"he said. He also blamed the Congress for Partition.

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