Hyderabad has highest petrol prices, Delhi lowest: Why fuel rates vary across cities

THe fire prices were hiked for a thirdly clip in the endure octad days, with petrol and diesel seeing a surge of around ₹1 per litre. In Delhi, the price of petrol now stands at ₹99.51 per litre, while that of diesel was ₹92.49 litre.The petrol and diesel rates, however, differed across metro cities and states, with Mumbai seeing petrol prices at ₹108.49 per litre and Delhi seeing it at ₹99.51.The fuel prices are set to gradually increase over time in small doses as the oil marketing companies continue to see revenue losses, at around ₹8-10 per litre on petrol and diesel due to the ongoing crisis in West Asia.Different fuel rates across IndiaOn Saturday, Hyderabad recorded the highest petrol prices at ₹112.81 per litre, while Thiruvananthapuram recorded followed closely at ₹112.64. Hyderabad and Thiruvananthapuram also remained the only two cities where the price of diesel crossed ₹100.Here is a list of cities and their petrol prices (per litre):Hyderabad- ₹112.81Thiruvananthapuram- ₹112.64Patna- ₹111Kolkata- ₹110.64Jaipur- ₹109.84Mumbai- ₹108.49Bengaluru- ₹108.09Bhubaneswar- ₹106.18Chennai- ₹105.31Guwahati- ₹105.1Delhi- ₹99.51Why fuel prices vary across states?The prices of petrol and diesel vary across states, depending on multiple factors like of Value Added Tax (VAT) and additional local cesses levied by different state governments.While the central excise duty charged by the centre remains same throughout the country, the final price paid by consumers at the pump depends on state's taxation policies.The amount of VAT and local cesses charged by the state government determines the final fuel prices. Generally, opposition ruled states have higher prices due to substantially higher levies on retail consumers.The highest prices of the fuel were seen in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, with Petrol prices at around ₹116 per litre, driven by steep state taxes.Andhra imposed a 31% VAT alongside an additional ₹4 per litre fee and a road development cess, pushing the tax burden close to 35%.In Kerala, the prices were above ₹113 per litre in several cities, due to the state government's decision to maintain a high base VAT and an additional social security cess.Meanwhile, the lowest petrol prices were seen in BJP-ruled states like Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana. The petrol prices remained between ₹95-98 per litre due to moderate state tax brackets and absence of local cesses. Delhi, Goa, and Assam too had comparatively lower consumer prices.