Hyderabad, April 28 --  The government has said it clearly and more than once that there is no plan to raise petrol or diesel prices. But with Assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry drawing to a close and global crude hovering near USD 120 a barrel, that assurance is doing little to the growing speculation.

Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, sought to calm nerves at an inter-ministerial briefing last week. "LPG, petroleum and diesel are available in sufficient amount and the prices have not increased, so please do not panic," she said, adding that the government had taken steps to ensure supply continuity despite disruptions caused by the West Asia crisis...