Free oil PSUs from the pricing pincer
Even though the government has recently allowed state-owned oil marketing Companies to marginally increase the prices of petrol and diesel, one doesn't need to use rocket science to figure out that the hike is just not enough to help Indian Oil Corp, HPCL and BPCL to tide over their losses. These downstream Companies have been selling petrol, diesel LPG and kerosene much below the actual price. To keep voters happy, the government decided to limit the hike in a range of Re 1-Rs 2 a litre when Rs 9 for petrol and Rs 11 for diesel were actually required. Also, the prices of LPG and kerosene were left untouched. This was when kerosene needed to be increased to Rs 20 a litre and an LPG cylinder priced close to Rs 330. At the same time, a partial relief package was promised to the oil Companies. This included issuance of oil bonds of a higher quantum