Fuel prices continued to surge across the country for the seventh consecutive day, prompting calls for a cut in excise duty to ease the burden on consumers, reported The Mint.

The rate of petrol in Delhi went up by 26 paise reaching Rs 88.99 per litre as compared to Rs 88.73 per litre on February 14, according to state-owned fuel retailers. Diesel price in the Capital also touched a new high at Rs 79.35 – increasing 29 paise from the previous day.

In Mumbai, petrol price rose to Rs 95.46 per litre and diesel to Rs 86.34 for every litre.

In Chennai, automobile owners will have to pay Rs 91.19 per litre for petrol and Rs 84.44 per litre for diesel. The prices in Kolkata reached Rs 90.25 per litre for petrol and Rs 82.94 per litre for diesel.

In the last seven days, the price of petrol has gone up by Rs 2.06 per litre, while diesel rates have risen by Rs 2.56 a litre, according to IANS.

The increase in fuel prices on Monday has followed the firming global oil prices, both product and crude, that have maintained a record streak of gains in the past few days with crude reaching close to $63.5 [approximately Rs 4,609] a barrel. But experts said that fresh lockdown restrictions in various parts of world in view of the new coronavirus strain may drive up demand and push down prices soon, according to IANS.

Earlier this month, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had ruled out the possibility of a reduction in taxes on petrol and diesel in order to reduce prices, reported MoneyControl. “There is no such proposal at present,” he said in the Rajya Sabha.