Diesel costs more than petrol in Odisha

With diesel becoming costlier than petrol in Odisha, the ruling Biju Janata Dal and the opposition Congress on Sunday blamed the "faulty" policy of the central government for the rise in price of diesel.

A litre of diesel cost 12 paise more than that of petrol in Bhubaneswar with diesel being sold at Rs 80.69 per litre while petrol cost 80.57 per litre.

Utkal Petroleum Dealers Association general secretary Sanjay Lath said that this was the first time that the price of diesel surpassed that of petrol.

Lath said while other states have different VAT rates for petrol and diesel, Odisha charges a uniform 26% VAT on both.

He claimed that there has been a decline in sale of diesel in Odisha because of the high prices of the fuel.