The government's reluctance to take 'harsh' measures to contain the fallout of rising global crude oil prices have seen widening of losses of state-run companies on fuel sales to Rs 650 crore (Rs 6.5 billion) per day.

Indian Oil [Get Quote], Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum, who till last week were losing about Rs 580 crore (Rs 5.8 billion) per day on sale of petrol, diesel, domestic LPG and PDS kerosene, are incurring a revenue loss of close to Rs 650 crore from June 1, industry sources said.

Government spent large part of the last fortnight in consultations including at the highest level to combat the projected Rs 2,25,040 crore (Rs2,250.4 billion) revenue loss on fuel sales. But with inflation climbing to 45-month high of 8.1 per cent, the several round of discussions at the level of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi have yielded no decision.

Sources said the three firms, who till last week were losing Rs 16.34 a litre on petrol, are incurring a loss of Rs 21.43 on sale of every litre since June 1. Similarly, the losses on diesel have widened to Rs 31.58 per litre from Rs 23.49 while on kerosene they have jumped to Rs 35.98 from Rs 28.72 per litre.

Losses on LPG have swelled to Rs 353 per 14.2-kg cylinder from Rs 305.90.

IOC, BPCL [Get Quote] and HPCL [Get Quote] calculate import parity price of petrol and diesel on the first and the 16th of every month based on the average of the previous fortnight. LPG and kerosene prices are calculated one a month based on monthly average imported price.

There is likelihood that a meeting of the Cabinet may take place either on Wednesday or Thursday to decide on the fiscal package that may include raising fuel prices and marginal duty cuts.

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