New Delhi, Sept 8: Petrol prices in the national capital breached the Rs 80-mark as the nationwide fuel rate hike continued on Saturday. Petrol in Delhi will be sold at the highest rate ever - Rs 80.38 per litre. The price of diesel is also up by 44 paise, bringing it to Rs 72.51 in the city.

In Mumbai, petrol continues to peak at record-level, reaching a high of Rs 87.77 per litre, whereas, the rate of diesel has surged to Rs 76.98. Meanwhile, the price of petrol in Kolkata and Chennai has jumped to Rs 83.27 and Rs 83.54 respectively. Bharat Bandh on September 10: Congress, Left to Hold Nationwide Strike Against Modi Government Over Fuel Price Rise, Farmers' Woes.

Check-city wise petrol rates here:

Cities (Rs/litre)
New Delhi 80.38
Kolkata 83.27
Mumbai 87.77
Chennai 83.54

Check city-wise diesel rates:

Cities (Rs/litre)
New Delhi 72.51
Kolkata 75.36
Mumbai 76.98
Chennai 76.64

The surge in fuel rates is largely being attributed to the strengthening of the brent crude oil prices, which is averaging at $76 per barrel, along with the weakening of the Indian rupee against the US dollar.

Reacting to the unprecedented hike, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the rise in petrol and diesel prices is "due to external factors", which are beyond the control of the government. Pradhan said bringing fuel under the ambit of GST may end up bringing respite to the consumers, as it would lead to a reduction in duties collected by the Centre and the states.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 08, 2018 09:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).