On the eve of Diwali, oil marking companies have decided to increase the commission payable to petrol pump dealers and rationalize freight movement within the state for the benefit of consumers located in remote locations (far from the petrol and diesel depots of OMCs). The decision will help reduce fuel prices in several parts of the country.

Official sources said this decision would be implemented later in states and constituencies bound by elections.

“This reflects Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of bringing even remote areas on par with the rest of the country in terms of facilities,” Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri said.

Kaza in Himachal Pradesh will see petrol price fall by Rs 3.59 per liter and diesel by Rs 3.13 per litre. In Badrinath in Uttarakhand, the price of petroleum will fall by Rs 3.83 per liter and that of diesel by Rs 3.27 per litre.

Puri said the increase in dealer commission would improve service delivery to around 7 crore citizens who visited fuel shops in the country every day, that too without increasing fuel prices.

“The fulfillment of this demand pending for the past seven years will bring happiness in the lives of petrol pump dealers and nearly 10 lakh employees working at over 83,000 petrol pumps across the country,” he said.