The government has received a final dividend of Rs 6,665 crore from privatisation-bound Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) for the 2020-21 fiscal, the Dipam secretary said on Wednesday.

“Govt received final dividend of Rs 6,665 crore from BPCL for the FY 2020-21. This includes special dividend on account of gains especially on sale of BPCL’'s stake in Numaligarh Refinery in March 2021,” department of investment and public asset management (Dipam) secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey tweeted on Wednesday.

In March, BPCL had sold its entire 61.5 per cent stake in Numaligarh Refinery in Assam to a consortium of Oil India Ltd and Engineers India and the Assam government for Rs 9,876 crore.

Diesel hits 100 in city

Motorists and public transports in Calcutta will have to cough up over Rs 100 a litre for diesel for the first time on Thursday. The fuel will retail at Rs 100.14 a litre at Indian Oil Corporation pumps in the city, after 36 paise per litre hike overnight.

Diesel scored a century 113 days after petrol touched the Rs 100-a-litre mark.

On July 7, petrol price stood at Rs 100.23 a litre in the city. Petrol will retail at Rs 108.79 a litre in Hindustan Petroleum Corporation pumps in Calcutta on Thursday, rising around 34 paise per litre.

With international crude oil prices hovering at a multi-year high and the Modi government’s reluctance to slash duties on fuel, consumers are likely to pay even higher for these essential commodities, stoking inflation and turning common man poorer.

Fuel prices are continuing with their upward journey from May 3, a day after results from the state assembly elections, including Bengal, were declared.

Diesel prices have moved up Rs 16.53 a litre since then, translating into an increase of 19.7 per cent in less than 6 months.