<p>"I have asked for a meeting of the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM)," Reddy told reporters after a meeting with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who heads the EGoM.<br />State-owned oil firms are currently losing Rs 9.27 per litre of diesel, Rs 26.94 per litre of kerosene sold through the public distribution system (PDS) and Rs 260.50 per 14.2-kg LPG cylinder supplied to households for cooking purposes.<br /><br />The EGoM "meeting would take place before the Winter Session of Parliament", beginning November 22, he said, adding that a decision on raising prices may "not be easy".<br />The ministerial panel is essentially a consensus-building body of the Congress-led UPA government and comprises key allies like the DMK, TMC and NC. The allies had in September scuttled plans to limit the supply of subsidised LPG cylinders to 4-6 per household in a year so that subsidies can be cut.<br /><br />Reddy said his ministry would push for raising prices of all three regulated products, diesel, LPG and kerosene.<br /><br />On oil companies pressing for a hike in petrol prices, he said PSUs were fully empowered to take a view, keeping in mind rising crude oil prices and depreciating rupee.<br /><br />"Our ministry does not administer" the price of petrol, which was freed from government control in June last year, he said.<br /><br />Yesterday, HPCL Director (Finance) B Mukherjee had said that oil firms may have to raise petrol prices, as they were losing Rs 1.50 per litre at the current rates</p>
<p>"I have asked for a meeting of the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM)," Reddy told reporters after a meeting with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who heads the EGoM.<br />State-owned oil firms are currently losing Rs 9.27 per litre of diesel, Rs 26.94 per litre of kerosene sold through the public distribution system (PDS) and Rs 260.50 per 14.2-kg LPG cylinder supplied to households for cooking purposes.<br /><br />The EGoM "meeting would take place before the Winter Session of Parliament", beginning November 22, he said, adding that a decision on raising prices may "not be easy".<br />The ministerial panel is essentially a consensus-building body of the Congress-led UPA government and comprises key allies like the DMK, TMC and NC. The allies had in September scuttled plans to limit the supply of subsidised LPG cylinders to 4-6 per household in a year so that subsidies can be cut.<br /><br />Reddy said his ministry would push for raising prices of all three regulated products, diesel, LPG and kerosene.<br /><br />On oil companies pressing for a hike in petrol prices, he said PSUs were fully empowered to take a view, keeping in mind rising crude oil prices and depreciating rupee.<br /><br />"Our ministry does not administer" the price of petrol, which was freed from government control in June last year, he said.<br /><br />Yesterday, HPCL Director (Finance) B Mukherjee had said that oil firms may have to raise petrol prices, as they were losing Rs 1.50 per litre at the current rates</p>