With petrol price crossing Rs 100 per litre in several places across the country, including Odisha, the monthly budget has come under severe stress on households which are already reeling under the Covid crisis.
The hike in fuel prices has also affected the prices of other essential commodities like oil, pulses and vegetables, setting kitchens on fire.
Petrol price has gone through the roof in Malkangiri district of Odisha. The filling stations are reportedly selling petrol at Rs 112.26 per litre while the price of diesel in the area is Rs 108.56 per litre.
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Breaking all previous records, petrol prices in Kalimela area of the district touched Rs 113 per litre on Monday.
Similarly, in Bhubaneswar, petrol costs Rs 106.77 while a litre of diesel is sold at Rs 103.15. However, in Cuttack, the price of per litre petrol stands at Rs 107.04 and diesel at Rs 103.42.
In Rourkela, petrol costs Rs 107.88 per litre while in Balasore petrol price
is Rs 106.70.
The surge in fuel prices has triggered strong resentment among people across the country. The price hike has mainly affected the low-salaried and middle-class families struggling to make ends meet following cut on salaries due to the pandemic.
People feel the government is not doing enough to keep the fuel price in check.
A customer in Delhi said, "The government is not listening to individual demand. So everybody should chip in step so that their grievance is heard."
"It is hurting a lot. All our salary is now going into petrol. Government should take steps to decrease the petrol prices," said a consumer in Rourkela.
“The fuel price rise is a pain for middle-class families like us. If the fuel prices do not come down in the coming days, the middle class and low salaried income group will suffer further,” said a commuter.