Fuel price reduction within a week: Deora

NEW DELHI: An announcement on the reduction of fuel prices will be made within a week in the wake of decline in global crude prices, Petroleum Minister Murli Deora told the Lok Sabha today.

"The matter is being examined and an announcement would be made within a week," Deora said during Question Hour in reply to a spate of supplementaries on the issue as Opposition members insisted that the fuel prices be brought down forthwith.

BJD member Braj Kishore Tripathy asked "what is the policy of the Government when global crude prices have declined."

Rupchand Pal of the CPI(M) wanted to know whether the government, which has given a "bailout package" to the aviation companies, would "bail out" the common man, hit hard by the rising prices.

Similar was the query from Ram Kirpal Yadav of the RJD, an ally of the ruling Congress.

Deora said the government was waiting for further reduction in global crude prices and would consider the matter later. But as members got agitated and wanted an immediate response he said a decision would be taken within a week.
Deora denied that his Ministry had given any bailout package to the airlines and said it had only allowed them to make deferred payments to oil companies.

"You ask the Civil Aviation department," he shot back to some questions on the "bailout package" to private airliners.