Pradhan to raise fuel hike issue at OPEC meeting

Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday said India will raise the issue of the recent fuel price hike at the upcoming meeting of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) countries in Vienna.

"The OPEC countries are going to meet in Vienna. India is also going to be a part of it. We will put our points forward. We'll seek responsible crude oil pricing from OPEC and we will ensure that oil prices remain within common man's reach," he told reporters here.

Earlier, Pradhan had said the reduced value of the Indian rupee in comparison to the US dollar was causing a fuel price hike.

"It is due to various circumstances in international (oil) market and mainly the value of Indian Rupee has reduced in comparison to US Dollar, which has led to a surge in oil prices. We are trying to control the prices," he told ANI.

Pradhan had also pointed out that less production of oil in the OPEC and hike in crude oil price in the international market were some of the factors affecting fuel prices in India.

Meanwhile, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) Chairman Mukesh K. Surana also said fuel prices may be lowered post the upcoming OPEC meeting.

On a related note, Pradhan is slated to attend the OPEC meeting in Vienna on June 20.