New Delhi: The BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party)-led NDA (National Democratic Alliance) today (Dec 2, 2004) staged a walkout during the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha protesting at the Government for not rolling back prices of petroleum products.

Failing to get a positive reply from the Government to the demand raised by V K Malhotra (BJP) on whether it would roll back the prices, the main Opposition staged a walkout.

Replying to a spate of supplementaries, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Mani Shankar Aiyar said that the prices of petrol and LPG varied from State to State because of the sales tax levied by concerned State Governments.

He said imported crude price composed of "Indian basket" rose from $ 28 per barrel in 2002 to $ 37.50 this year causing the Government to hike prices of petroleum products.

To a query by Gurudas Dasgupta of CPI (Communist Party of India) as to why the Government was not keeping proper control over prices of petroleum products, the Minister said if the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) Government had pursued the policy of the United Front Government of which CPI was a partner and dismantled the Administered Price Mechanism (APM), "The prices would have hit the roof. On the other hand, we have adopted a more humane approach."

On prices of LPG in neighbouring countries, the Minister said it is Rs 384 in Sri Lanka, Rs 470 in Nepal and Rs 355 in Pakistan while it is Rs 281.80 in Delhi.