New Delhi [India], May 25 (ANI): With petrol and diesel prices hiked for the fourth time in less than two weeks, consumers across Ranchi, Lucknow and Patna on Monday voiced concern over the growing financial strain, saying the repeated increase in fuel rates would worsen inflation and hit household budgets hard.
Residents said the latest revision in fuel prices would not only make commuting costlier but also push up the prices of vegetables, food grains and other essential commodities due to higher transportation costs.
In Ranchi, commuters said the impact of rising fuel prices is being felt across all household expenses, with some alleging that inflation is worsening without adequate relief.
“The impact is huge. Everything has become expensive. If the price of diesel and petrol goes up, it affects travel and the cost of food items. The price of tomatoes is already high. When fuel prices rise, everything from vegetables like potatoes and onions to flour and rice becomes expensive. There’s no relief for the public. The government is deaf and dumb. They don’t listen. They go to London, Paris, or Italy when there’s work to be done. No one cares about what’s happening in the country. People are dying of hunger,” Abdul Jalil Ansari told ANI.
Anil Kumar, another commuter in Ranchi, said the continuous rise in fuel prices was becoming increasingly difficult for common people to manage.
“Just two days ago, I saw petrol at Rs 102, and now it’s Rs 105. As long as there is conflict, prices will continue to rise. My appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to make fuel cheaper and hold talks with other countries to help common people and lower-income groups,” he said.
Another resident, Parmanand Singh, urged the government to immediately roll back the increase at the earliest.
“The government should put a stop to this as soon as possible; it would be best for the public. People are already struggling because everything is linked to fuel. When fuel prices go up, the prices of all other things also increase,” he said.
In Lucknow, commuters described the hike as another blow to the middle class already grappling with inflation.
“It’s becoming very expensive for the middle class. Today, the price has reached Rs 101, and we don’t know where it will stop. It has become very difficult. We have to go everywhere by vehicle. It’s a huge problem for jobless people. It was 96 before, then it increased, and today I see it’s 101. Let’s see what the price will be tomorrow. It’s increasing every moment,” one commuter said.
Another buyer in Lucknow said the repeated increase in petrol and diesel prices could further intensify inflation in the coming days.
“The people of the country are already suffering from inflation. If petrol and diesel prices increase further, other essential goods will also become costlier. It is a serious matter and will affect everyone,” he said.
“I feel like there’s a race between the dollar and petrol prices. As soon as the dollar goes up, petrol prices increase… It seems the country will have to face a big economic crisis. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also appealed to the country to use resources sparingly. So, it is a big sign for all the countrymen, and we should all save our money now because the days ahead seem to be more troublesome, and inflation will increase more rapidly. It’s very unfortunate that oil prices are increasing continuously like this,” he added.
A third commuter of Lucknow pointed to the broader economic impact of the hike, saying rising fuel costs would trigger a “cascading effect” across sectors.
“When transportation costs increase, it affects all goods. Oil becoming expensive means its by-products also become expensive. Everything will be affected…Everything will be affected by its cascading effect,” he said.
Similar reactions were seen in Patna, where consumers said the repeated hikes were forcing them to reconsider daily travel.
MD Hadis said rising prices may push people towards public transport.
“Prices have increased four times in just two weeks. It’s becoming very difficult. I might have to use public transport. What else can I do?” he said.
Another commuter in Patna, Ravi Pathak, said inflation linked to rising fuel costs was already visible.
“Yes, we are facing difficulties because of inflation. If prices continue to rise, in the future we may have to use bicycles or walk,” he said.
Vishwajit Kumar said the increase would directly affect monthly household budgets.
“Obviously, it will have an impact. When prices increase repeatedly in such a short span, it causes difficulties. It will definitely affect the monthly budget,” he said.
Petrol and diesel prices were hiked again on Monday, marking the fourth increase in less than two weeks amid continued volatility in global crude markets and geopolitical tensions in West Asia.
In Patna, petrol is being sold at Rs 113.35 per litre, while diesel is priced at Rs 99.36 per litre. In Lucknow, petrol costs Rs 102.05 per litre and diesel Rs 95.55 per litre. In Jharkhand’s Ranchi, petrol prices have risen to Rs 105.93 per litre, while diesel is retailing at Rs 101.06 per litre.
Meanwhile, following the latest revision, petrol prices in Delhi crossed the Rs 100 mark, rising by Rs 2.61 to Rs 102.12 per litre, while diesel prices increased by Rs 2.71 to Rs 95.20 per litre. Similar hikes were recorded across Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai.
The repeated fuel price hikes come amid sustained pressure on oil marketing companies due to elevated global crude oil prices, fluctuations in currency exchange rates and concerns over possible supply disruptions linked to tensions in West Asia, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz — a crucial global crude oil transit route.
The continued increase in petrol, diesel and CNG prices is expected to raise logistics and transportation costs further, potentially pushing retail inflation higher and increasing the burden on household and commercial budgets across the country. (ANI)