BHUBANESWAR: In a departure from market convention, diesel is being sold at a higher price than petrol in Odisha for the past two days.
On Sunday, diesel was sold at Rs 80.78 per litre, 12 paise more than petrol which hovered around Rs 80.65 per litre.
A litre of diesel cost 12 paise more than that of petrol in Bhubaneswar on Sunday with diesel being sold at Rs 80.69 per litre while petrol cost 80.57 per litre.
Meanwhile, a war of words broke out as the ruling Biju Janata Dal and the opposition Congress blamed the "faulty" policy of the central government for the rise in the price of diesel.
Odisha Finance Minister S B Behera said, "This imbalance is mostly due to faulty policy of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre ... There could be a tactical understanding between the central government and oil marketing companies."
Reacting to Behera, BJP state general secretary Prithviraj Harichandan said, "Finance minister (Behera) should be judicious while making a statement on an important issue. Everybody in the country knows the reason behind the rise in the prices of fuel. While 13 states have reduced VAT on the fuel, Odisha government is yet take a decision in this regard."
Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who is from Odisha, has asked the state government to reduce the rate of VAT to give relief to people.
Utkal Petroleum Dealers Association general secretary Sanjay Lath said while other states have different VAT rates for petrol and diesel, Odisha charges a uniform 26 per cent 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.
(With PTI inputs)