People express despair over petrol price hike

People across the country have expressed despair and dismay over the government's decision to hike petrol prices by Rs 1.82 per litre due to the fall in the value of rupee and a hardening of crude prices in the international market.

"Constantly, prices are going up, when prices come down nothing actually comes down. How long are we going to deal with this? It's been no stop inflation in this country and that has got to stop," said Anita Sharma.

Koushik Mondal, a Kolkata resident said the government should at least give some time to the common man to adjust and plan his budget.

"Again, we have to bear it. I don't know how it will be fixed. We are glad that our government is open to foreign market where if Prices increases, cost of other products will also increase. But I think it's not ok. It would be better if we get two three months fixed, it would be better because then we can fix our budget like that," said Mondal.

"Our routines would be disrupted. Our lives, business and office everything runs around petrol prices, we cannot manage with the increase in price," said A. K Seth, a doctor living in Lucknow.

Anmol Maurya, an IT professional in Mumbai said the hike in the price of petrol would severely affect his monthly budget.

The hike in price of petrol came into effect from midnight Friday.

In the states, the price of petrol will be higher because of State levies.

The price hike decision comes in line with the Indian Government's decision to gradually move to market pricing with hikes in small dozes.

The previous reduction made by the government failed to ease the burden of the common man.

India liberalized petrol prices in June 2010, but the government continues to unofficially dictate prices to refiners.