[Mafia]

Smokescreen! Celebrities are used as smokescreens to hide the plight of normal citizens.

This song kind of summarises where we are at. I am surprised it did not get banned.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgEjcxbd5Ec

The plight of the common man and the artificially high fuel prices and our helplessness to even raise a voice saying enough, this is too much is an act of sedition.

Even before this government came to power, India was one of the worst places to retire in the world. By the time I retire in about 20-22 years, we need to have an exit plan in the face of financial ruin.

This is not just about petrol prices, it is about the taxation policy. Since you cannot increase efficiency, you increase taxes. The normal, general class citizens with only earning in white money are totally punished.

Is dishonesty the only way to survive? Tax evasion and such?

It is somewhat our own creation as well. I don't drive lesser because the fuel prices are high. I think Corona has taken away the urge to sit at home and not do anything as it is expensive to go anywhere. With another wave theoretically looming, making the most of it while it lasts is the attitude one has developed. Went to a mall for the first time this year, yesterday. We may even watch a movie in a theater this year!

WFO(work from the office) has started. My return trip to the office is 60kms every day, in Bangalore traffic. That is 5 to 6 liters of petrol everyday, 22 days a month, plus weekend running around. 15k plus in just fuel expenses!!!

[Spaced Out]

Meanwhile IOCL declares a profit with slim growth but higher 'gross refining margin per barrel' at $6.57 per barrel compared with $3.46 per barrel in the same quarter last year.

It has declared an interim dividend of Rs 5. Its primary shareholders - the Government of India - as elected by us, must be a happy lot.

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com...w/87394037.cms

[stallmaster]

I run a business of manufacturing(metal linkages and sundry) and I had to bite the bullet of raising prices after this quarter as all expenses were going up exponentially starting from 2nd quarter last year. It came down to winding up eventually in the near future or start raising prices to the tune of upto 10%. It all comes down to transportation cost.

People who invest in stocks must have heard that all the big corporations have started to increase prices too, Asian Paints, HUL, etc. It's a sign of things to come.

People who shill for the establishment also know that inflation is eating into their savings, but what to do, they all know that once sacked or put out of business, they'll have to fend for themselves. Sad to say, but we'll be in the middle-income trap for a while now.

[harry10]

For Sonet, I calculated for month of October.

1905 km driven.
Diesel cost - 14500
Approx cost per km - 7.6 Rs

For Tiago-
Approx fuel cost is 4000 for OCT.

Total fuel cost this month is around 19k. That's too much considering both cars are diesel and give 14-16 kmpl in NCR conditions. If they were Petrol we would be touching 30k.

For similar running of kms at start of this year total fuel cost was around 10-11k.

Sadly my work is dependent on both cars so can't even do WFH and escape from this ridiculous fuel hike in name of development which is no where to be seen.

FYI - Did a tank full this morning in delhi. Diesel is at - 98.13. I am sure the next time I will do tank full in few days it will be 100 and above.

[shancz]

Originally Posted by yesyeswe

Just like cricketers only raise their bats at 50 and multiples of 50, we were waiting for it to reach 150 and then celebrate.

brilliant

When I had bought my bike in 2011, I had jokingly said that I am getting this keeping in mind that even if fuel touches 100Rs/litre my trips can still happen. I had not thought that this statement would be true.

My complaint is that if dreams/prophecies have to come true then why this one ? Where is my M3 ?
Probably better because if I got the M3 I wouldn't be able to fuel it anyway

[_chikku]

Today it is 104.09 in Bangalore.

[999]

Fuel hike is one part of the story. This was “smart” when you had a buffer in actual base cost to pump rates. Now with oil @85 a barrel. There is no where to run. Would be interesting to see how this was spent once the AGR report comes in. How this money is spent is also where people should be looking at. Financials of political organisations are a good leading indicator. Also people should review our progress in socio economic indicators. Not one of them went up in the last 10 years or so!! Sad really!!

[vharihar]

Originally Posted by 999

How this money is spent is also where people should be looking at.

See: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...ml#post5092359 (The Official Fuel Prices Thread)

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Cousin sent this from Rewa district of MP - another state to cross the 120 milestone.

XP95 is at 124.91

[motorhead5]

Everywhere it's reaching 120 for petrol. Last week it was 117/- here in Bangalore. Earlier when it used to move from 55 to 58, there used to be bandh or heated debates.
In 2014, current rulers promised rs 40/- from ~60/- if I remember right
Now govt doesn't care and Opposition doesn't exist in our country!!

[RJK]

Originally Posted by vharihar

I agree and sympathize with everything you said except the dug up for Metro construction. That should be deemed as a short term pain for long term gain.

And before one complains that it's been going on for many years, bear this in mind: Building one apt complex within a closed system of a 5 acre plot itself takes 4-5 years. So it's not at all unreasonable for the construction of a 150+ kms long metro system to take 5-7 years, with its myriad of issues involving utility shifting (read *UG cables, pipes*, etc), land acquisition, litigation every now and then, and stations construction *each* of which itself is comparable to an apt complex.

I agree with you in principle. I am a big proponent of public transport myself & have used it for a large part of my adulthood. However, the situation in Bombay is not so simple. The city is a golden egg laying goose/hen & every political party wants its share of the loot. So, if govt changes, projects come to a stand still until appropriate remuneration isn't provided to the party which has come to power. And the cycle continues.

What you're saying is correct & applicable to private projects (housing complexes, towers etc), but in this case since its a govt initiative, to my mind these restrictions shouldn't/don't apply. I would be surprised if the govt embarks on projects & then discovers the protests/problems at a later date. Its a clear case of deliberate willingness to move fast or slow.

[sunilch]

Originally Posted by vharihar

I agree and sympathize with everything you said except the dug up for Metro construction. That should be deemed as a short term pain for long term gain.

And before one complains that it's been going on for many years, bear this in mind: Building one apt complex within a closed system of a 5 acre plot itself takes 4-5 years. So it's not at all unreasonable for the construction of a 150+ kms long metro system to take 5-7 years, with its myriad of issues involving utility shifting (read *UG cables, pipes*, etc), land acquisition, litigation every now and then, and stations construction *each* of which itself is comparable to an apt complex.

Originally Posted by RJK

What you're saying is correct & applicable to private projects (housing complexes, towers etc), but in this case since its a govt initiative, to my mind these restrictions shouldn't/don't apply. I would be surprised if the govt embarks on projects & then discovers the protests/problems at a later date. Its a clear case of deliberate willingness to move fast or slow.

+1 to what RJK has mentioned. Except for some rare case of new litigation coming into picture and stopping the project, such large scale govt projects are not started (execution) without all approvals, land acquisition and other procedures in place.

The only grouse is usually the payment release timeline to the contractor from the Govt department which can suddenly stop because of a change in govt party in-charge. Such projects are also well funded with a defined payment for every task/work. So execution should ideally never get delayed except for some rare case like this pandemic (that too for a brief moment and not long period). Look at Delhi Metro as example. The team responsible for execution of it always did it in record time and hardly ever went over the estimate.

[rakesh_r]

Originally Posted by jetsetgo08

But, it will be good riddance as it would pursue people to vote this govt. out of power.

But thats a good 2 years away, sorry to say but we as Indians are shameless to fall for freebies and "look the govt has reduced fuel prices" just before the elections. All it takes is some incident to say at the end Mr x saved this great nation. The upcoming UP elections may show some outcome till then I am thankful that I am working from home and don't have to commute.
No wonder the upper middle and educated class are migrating.
Nowadays I have reduced my speeds and have started shifting early to extract the maximum from the last drop of fuel.

[tiagoatrix]

Robbers get to work when it's dark.
A mafia government survives with indirect taxes.

Morally and ethically speaking, indirect taxes should be kept at minimum. But in our country indirect taxes have crossed 50% of all taxes - this is wrong. Too much of anything is good for nothing, and their greed will be the reason for their fall one day.

It is unbelievable when I think that fuel prices in a developing country like ours is more than Japan, which has impeccable infrastructure and connectivity.

Imagine how much will be the fuel prices once our infrastructure is world class!

Dear government, just shut the heck up and stop all this nonsense of cess, octroi etc. Bring fuels under GST and charge 8-12% tax.

Enough of the looting.

[GTO]

On a lighter note in a serious thread