Thursday, June 8 2006 09:49 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The Government yesterday (June 7, 2006) ruled out any roll-back in fuel price hike announced on Monday, a decision that evoked sharp protests from political parties including the Congress and ruling UPA's Left allies.

"Government has decided that there would be no roll- back," Petroleum Secretary M S Srinivasan told sources shortly after Petroleum Minister Murli Deora and he met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, ending speculation to the contrary.

When contacted, Deora said that he met the Prime Minister earlier in the day, but declined to divulge details of the discussion.

"As far as I am concerned, this issue (fuel price hike) is over," the Minister told PTI.

The Prime Minister is believed to have told Deora that there would be no roll-back and he also approved the Ministry's publicity and advertisement campaign to make people aware of the compulsions for the Rs 4 per litre hike in price of petrol and Rs 2 in diesel.

Deora, who had met Congress President Sonia Gandhi last evening, is understood to have apprised Singh about the developments related to the fuel price hike, including the feedback he got from the political arena.

The Prime Minister is also understood to have directed Deora to explain the circumstances to leaders of the Left Parties, who have announced their decison to go on agitation against the Cabinet decision of Monday.

In particular, Deora will talk to Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Chief Minister of Left-ruled West Bengal, in this connection.