National finances don't allow rollback of fuel prices: Murli Deora

Petroleum minister Murli Deora today said here that the country should stop talking about rolling back the fuel price hike as the nation's financial condition does not allow that to do so.
      
Deora said finance minister Pranab Mukherjee has already cleared the stand that the nation's financial condition does not permit a rollback of the duty hike on diesel and petrol.
      
"I request you to leave the question of rolling back the prices. Let the oil companies survive," Deora told reporters while reacting to a related question.
      
"The finance minister has ruled out possibility of rolling back the duty in Lok Sabha yesterday, and there is no question to do so if we consider the nation's financial condition," he said.
      
When asked about progress in setting up an oil refinery in the state, he said anything could be said about it only after the report of Tripathi committee.
     
Saying that crude oil production from the Barmer block will prove a milestone for the state, he said, "in future, oil production from the desert state will contribute around 21% to the country's overall oil production."
    
On the piped LPG supply in the state, he said, "we are planning to lay underground pipelines for domestic LPG supply by 2015. Initially we have chosen Jaipur, Bharatpur, Alwar, Neemrana, Jaisalmer, Ganganagar, Bhiwari, Bhilwara, Jodhpur, Ajmer and Udaipur for this, and any other city/town if proposed would also be included," Deora said.