Agencies

NEW DELHI, Jan 8: Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora on Wednesday gave a clear indication that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government was seriously considering undertaking another cut in prices of petrol and diesel along with domestic Liquefied petroleum Gas (LPG) in the next fortnight or so.

Talking to reporters here, Deora said: “We are currently reviewing the situation in view of the movement of crude oil prices in the international market. Things have started to stabilise and we will try and reduce prices may be in the next fortnight or so. But a final decision will be taken by the Union Cabinet after consultations,” he added. He declined to specify the quantum of the proposed cut.

On December 5, the government announced a Rs. 5 a litre reduction in the price of petrol and Rs. 2 a litre for diesel, as global crude prices hovered around a four-year low.

Expressing his unhappiness at the strike by the oil sector officers association as well as the transporters throughout the country,  Deora said somebody was misguiding them. The country could ill-afford agitations at such a crucial time. The oil and gas sectors were the only government departments that had a massive interface with the people and every effort should be made to ensure that the common man was not harassed.

Deora said the government constituted an inter-Ministerial group under Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram to look into the demands of the Oil Sector Officers’ Association and the report was likely to be submitted within 30 days.

“Chidambaram had agreed to meet them today [Wednesday] but the Oil Sector Officers Association failed to respond. It is a very unfortunate situation and they should realise what kind of national damage such an agitation can cause,” he added.