Petrol price was hiked on Friday by 19 paise per litre and diesel by 28 paise, the second increase in rates in as many days on firming input cost.

Petrol in Delhi now costs Rs 69.07 per litre–the highest this month–up from Rs 68.88 per litre rate of Thursday, according to the price notification issued by state-owned oil firms. A litre of diesel in Delhi is now priced at Rs 62.81 as compared to Rs 62.53 on Thursday.

The increase third this month comes on the back of a 38 paise increase in petrol rates and 29 paise in case of diesel announced on Thursday.

In all, the petrol price has fallen by Rs 14.54 per litre since October 18, more than negating all of the hikes that were witnessed in the two-month period beginning mid-August. Diesel price has declined by Rs 13.53 per litre in two and a half months.

Petrol in Delhi was priced at Rs 77.14 and in Mumbai at Rs 84.58 per litre on August 15. Diesel on that day was priced at Rs 68.72 per litre in Delhi and Rs 72.96 in Mumbai.

On January 7, the petrol price was hiked by 21 paise and diesel by 8 paise. Rates were unchanged on January 8 and 9.In three hikes, petrol price has gone up by a total of 78 paise a litre and diesel by 55 paise, according to the price notification.Prior to these hikes, rates had cooled to a yearly low of Rs 68.29 for petrol and Rs 62.16 in case of diesel. This followed a decline in rates on almost all days since October 18, 2018.

Between August 16 and October 4, the petrol price was hiked by Rs 6.86 per litre and diesel by Rs 6.73.On that day, the government decided to cut excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 1.50 per litre each and asked state-owned fuel retailers to subsidise the price by another Re 1 a litre by reducing their margins.