Govt looking for alternative market for fuel purchase: Puri
Darpan News Desk IANS, 14 Mar, 2022 01:08 PM
New Delhi, March 14 (IANS) Union Minister for Petroleum Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday informed the Rajya Sabha that the government is looking for an alternate market for fuel purchase amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Responding to a question during 'Question Hour', he said that the government has been exploring all options such as currency to facilitate purchase, supply of oil in markets, insurance and freight.
In response to Congress lawmaker Shakti Singh Gohil's question whether the government intends to reduce diesel rates, the Minister said that the prices of diesel were deregulated. "Whenever we felt that the common man needed more relief, we went ahead and reduced the price. In November 2021, we brought down the fuel prices by Rs 10," Puri said in the House.
Congress MP K.C. Venugopal said that petrol prices have increased 63 times and diesel 61 times. He also said that since November, the government has not hiked the price and asked whether the price will remain the same or will be a hike or not.
The Petroleum Minister also informed that Venezuela is a country which was subjected to sanctions by another country. He further said that there was hope and expectation that oil from other sanctioned countries would become available, the Organisation of Oil Exporting Countries (OPEC) countries would increase their oil production and there would be persuasion by the international community in this regard.
Puri also said that neither the union government nor the oil companies are going to float oil bonds.
"All legitimate steps would be taken to maintain prices of oil," he said.
Six non-local labourers were shot dead by militants on Tuesday in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district. All six were from West Bengal, police sources said.
At least 19 people have been injured in the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Sopore and the condition of six of them is critical, Army sources said on Monday.
With the BJP raking up the demand for awarding the Bharat Ratna to Veer Savarkar, the Congress has countered it by seeking the country's highest civilian award to Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru.
A group of Sikh devotees from India, part of a religious procession, on Monday started off their spiritual journey from Delhi to Nankana Sahib in Pakistan, the birthplace of founder of Sikhism Guru Nanak Dev, the High Commission here said.
A truck driver was killed by suspected militants on Monday in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district, police said, a day before a delegation of European Union MPs visits the Valley.
In a unique gesture to mark Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev’s 550th Gurpurab celebrations, Air India has put the Sikhs’ religious symbol ‘Ek Onkar’ on its aircraft tail.
