Though rising oil prices in global markets is a grim reality, the resistance to raise retail prices of petroleum products in India, as in many other developing countries, is definitely political rather than economic. Yet, policy inaction is no longer a realistic option when oil marketing companies are going under. The government should have a policy framework in which fluctuations in global prices are automatically passed on to local customers. Calls for an income and corporate tax cess (?Govt for cess to pay for oil?, May 28) are unreasonable. A ?cess raj? would be an arbitrary thing to do.
?Jacob Sahayam Thiruvananthapuram
Aspirational hurdle
India needs a retail revolution (?Organised shopping?, May 28). It?s one of the last aspirational hurdles that has to be removed in the post-liberalisation India.
?VN Sinha Lucknow
