NEW DELHI, November 4: The issue of linking diesel prices with international trends has run into rough weather once again, this time with the UF constituents differing on the benchmark date for the scheme. While one section within the government is of the opinion that the benchmark for international prices should be taken as September 1 when the government first unveiled its pricing policy, another section believes this date should be October 1.

The main objection to using September 1 as the benchmark is that in September, international prices of diesel hovered around $ 164 per tonne while on October 1 they touched $ 175 per tonne. Currently, prices are in the range of $183 per tonne. So if September is chosen as the benchmark, diesel prices will have to be hiked by 53 paise per litre. If, however, October is used as the benchmark, prices will have to be raised by a lower 24 paise.

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