No hike in petrol prices, thanks to Sonia

New Delhi, Nov 22: Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora today said in the Lok Sabha that his Ministry wanted to raise prices of petrol and diesel because of the increase in international crude oil prices but refrained from doing it on the directions of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

''Directions have come from Sonia Gandhi not to raise prices....

We have to maintain that,'' Mr Deora said during Question Hour.

Replying to a supplementary, he said the Government was committed to the laying of the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline, but some issues, such as transfer tax to be paid to the Pakistan Government, had to be settled.

''We are doing our best to see the pipeline started,'' he said.

In reply to another question, he said the waiting list of LPG customers in the country as on November 1 was 68,813, including 10,861 in Kerala.

''The waiting list is expected to be liquidated by December 15 this year,'' he added.

UNI