On Wednesday, the PM said some states did not reduce VAT on petrol and diesel despite the excise duty cut by the Centre last November and had done "injustice" to the people by not transferring the benefits of the move to them.
What could hurt the fiscal maths the most is if the central government decides to cut excise to protect the retail prices
When crude oil prices were subdued, the government earned a tidy sum from pretty steep taxes on petroleum products. Now the dynamics are changing and inflation is starting to become a worry.
In Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal, the petrol rate as on November 30 is Rs 90.05 per litre while diesel is being sold at Rs 80.10 per litre.
Petrol prices on Monday hit a 4-year-high selling at Rs 73.83 per litre while diesel rates touched an all-time high of Rs 64.69 in the national capital
In the wake of the over Rs 7 increase in petrol prices by the government, CNBC-TV18 spoke to executives from leading auto companies for their reaction on the hike in petrol prices, its impact on the rupee and the economy as a whole.
Unfazed by ally Trinamool Congress' threat of even withdrawing support, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today virtually justified the hike in petrol prices, saying there should be further movement towards deregulation of fuel prices.
State-owned oil companies are all set to hike petrol prices by around Rs 3 per litre which will be effective from midnight.