new delhi the oil ministry has moved a proposal to raise fuel prices across the board but refrained from spelling out the quantum of increase raising doubts about the seriousness of its intentcoming at a time when the government is facing considerable heat from its left partners and opposition alike on several issues particularly on the nuclear deal with the us and sachar committee report the proposal appears aimed more at showing solidarity with oil companies than meaning businessmore than motor fuels any proposal to increase kitchen fuels is surely going to raise the hackles of the left parties on previous occasions too when congresss relations with the left were not strained like now the red brigade had invoked the interest of the aam aadmi to press for duty adjustment instead of raising prices to cushion consumers from flaring international crudeno wonder ministry sources were keeping their fingers crossed this time they were unanimous that the most optimistic scenario for them would be a cabinet permission to allow a raise by rs 2 a litre in petrol and re 1 a litre in diesel even the most optimistic among the bureaucrats however do not see the cabinet touching the kitchen fuels particularly now that early elections seem very much on the cardsthere could however be a strategy behind the oil ministrys move raising the matter in the cabinet may be aimed at bringing a collective pressure on finance minister p chidamabaram to extend a helping hand by way of extra bonds to oilmarketing companies a middle way could be a marginal rise in motor fuels and some additional bonds to oil firms to cover their losses on kitchen fuelsif that does not happen as also a rise in kitchen fuel prices the oil companies will have a thing to worry they are losing rs 279 on each litre of petrol rs 465 on diesel rs 1550 on kerosene and rs 17815 on each cooking gas refill