Centre may hike petrol, diesel prices: Murli Deora

PANAJI: The Centre will soon hike petrol and diesel prices since prices for crude oil have gone up internationally , said petroleum minister Murli Deora here in Goa on Saturday.

���We will wait till oil prices stabilise before deciding the quantum of hike, but given the situation a price hike in petrol and diesel seems inevitable,��� he said. Mr Deora was on a two-day official visit to the state. The price hike
could vary from Rs 2-5 per litre for petrol, a Rs 2 hike per litre for diesel.

Besides price hike, government is also considering deregulation, which is likely to come with some subsidies, ���the cabinet is studying the issue, our main concern is that the common man should not get burdened,��� adds minister Deora.

Meanwhile, the union minister has also cleared Goa���s long pending demand for additional gas by extending the gas pipelines between Dabhol and Bangalore to Goa. The extension of 400 km of gas pipe line will be laid from Gokak in Karnataka to Goa at an estimated cost of Rs.1,600 crore.



Goa has already signed an MoU with GAIL for gas extension in 2008 and was waiting for central approval of the same. ���This will supply gas not only to industries but can be also used to meet our growing domestic demand.

We are considering having a joint venture (JV) with GAIL for supplying gas directly to houses in the main cities like Panjim and Mormugao,��� said Goa chief minister Digambar Kamat. The entire project is likely to be finished by mid 2012.