NEW DELHI, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Fuel prices in India increased again on Tuesday for the seventh time in the last eight days.
According to a price notification of state fuel retailers in the capital city Delhi, petrol rates were hiked by 0.80 rupee a litre and crossed the 100-rupee (1.32-U.S. dollar) mark. Diesel was also hiked by 0.70 rupee a liter in the city.
A liter of petrol in the Indian national capital now costs 100.21 rupees (1.32 U.S. dollars) and diesel sold at 91.47 rupees (1.20 U.S. dollars).
In Mumbai city, petrol is retailed at 115.04 rupees (1.51 U.S. dollars) a litre, while diesel is being sold at 99.25 rupees (1.31 U.S. dollars) per liter.
The fuel rates are the highest in Mumbai among India's metropolitan cities as the prices vary across Indian states due to value-added tax or local taxation.
Fuel rates were held steady for over four months in the country despite the spike in crude oil prices. The rate revision had ended on March 22. Critics said the rates were kept on hold due to the local elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur.
On Monday, the opposition lawmakers demanded a rollback in the hike in prices of fuel and cooking gas, seeking a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the parliament, which is currently in session. ■