The decision of oil marketing companies to hike the prices of petrol and diesel and domestic cooking gas has evoked sharp reaction from people in north Kerala.
Many had been expecting a hike after a four-month election-related hiatus. The retail price of petrol and diesel increased by over 85 paise and domestic cooking gas by ₹50 per cylinder.
“We have stopped using our vehicles and instead switched over to public transportation. An increase in fuel prices will have a bearing on prices of other essential commodities with the rise in transportation cost,” said Ajitha Premjith, a homemaker in Kozhikode.
The petrol price in Kozhikode was increased to ₹105.32 per litre while that of diesel to ₹92.55 per litre on Tuesday.
C.P. Kamalakshan of Taliparamba in Kannur district said the increase in fuel price would severely affect his driving school business. “We have no choice but to increase the fee for driving classes,” he said.
Soumya Nair, working in a private firm at Kanhangad in Kasaragod district, said families had already cut short their expenses. “The sudden hike in fuel price would further add to our burden,” she said.
K. Prashanth, a resident of Thalassery, said that people in the region were able to live through the hike in prices of petroleum products as they stayed close to the Union Territory of Mahe. “The fuel cost is ₹10 to ₹11 less compared to Kerala. However, bus operators and auto drivers have demanded an increase in the fares on account of the hike in fuel prices,” he said.
Fears of a hike triggered panic buying in Mahe resulting in a spurt in sales last week. The price of petrol and diesel in Mahe on Tuesday was also hiked to ₹93.29 and ₹81.7 per litre.
A young architect in Palakkad, Fazil Khader, said, “There is nothing new about this increase in the price of petrol and diesel. People will give it even if the petroleum companies increase the price further.”
For N. Shaji, who runs a vegetable and fruit shop in Palakkad, the increase in fuel price portends worse times. “When petrol and diesel prices go up, everything else will be affected. I am sure the fuel price increase will be reflected in our daily life soon,” he said.
Arun Kumar, a goldsmith at Malappuram, was fuming at the inability of the Centre in preventing the price rise. “If they want, they could have checked the price rise. We saw the government’s attitude during the recent elections,” he said.
