Government on Tuesday said it was considering whether to increase prices of petrol and diesel due to increase in international crude oil prices.
Responding to supplementaries during Question Hour in Rajya Sabha, Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar said since international crude oil prices had increased, it was necessary for the government to consider the issue.
"The issues are before the government. We will see what we have to do," he said referring to the demand for price hike made by oil companies.
Aiyar also said government subsidy on kerosene for public distribution system and domestic cooking gas would be phased out over a period of five years effective April 1, 2002. "Government subsidy would be available upto March 31, 2007."
To a separate query, he said LPG demand expanded by about 9.9 per cent in April-February 2004-05 fiscal, the growth being somewhat below the average during the last three years.
LPG consumption rose 10.1 per cent in 2001-02, 8.1 per cent in 2002-03 and 11.4 per cent in 2003-04.
© 2026