| Fuel prices may rise after Prez election
NEW DELHI: With the end of presidential poll in sight on Thursday and international crude oil price hitting the $78/barrel-mark, the oil ministry is once again crunching numbers for raising motor fuel prices although overarching economic concerns of re-igniting an upward trend in the inflation rate remain.
The calculations envisage an increase in the region of Rs 2-2.50 a litre in petrol and Re 1-1.50 a litre in diesel, aimed at checking mounting losses of state-owned oil marketing firms as the mix of crude imported by India heads above $70/barrel.
Based on data supplied by the public sector oil firms, petrol and diesel prices are required to be raised by over Rs 5 a litre to bring them in tune with international crude prices.
Last heard, the oil firms were losing over Rs 5.3 a litre on petrol and Rs 4.40 on diesel as the crude mix bought by India has gone up 12% since February 15, when petrol and diesel prices were slashed by Rs 2 and Re 1 a litre, respectively.
Reader's room - What a view!
Situated on the Lake Erie waterfront, our condo gets an unobstructed view of the boats traveling up and down the channel each day. At night the view becomes sensational as the sun sets to west in direct view of my windows. I love my view from the windows -- and now I love the view inside our condo. To liven up our space we teamed up with our designer Christine Kenyon of Advance Furniture and mapped out what we wanted to do. I wanted a central living/entertaining area that wouldn't obstruct the view looking out. Christine suggested the organic look of American Leather's Menlo Park. This curved sectional sweeps throughout the center of the room, allowing easy access while providing ample seating. Facing the windows overlooking the lake, the couch also faces a maple wall unit. The maple hardwood floor and kitchen cabinets, as well as the maple-based coffee table from Elite manufacturing, unify the space together.
Successful Remodeling: Ten Tips for Keeping Your Sanity
ORGANIZE! To make the job easier and ensure your percentage of good ideas is as high as possible, you need a strategy to organize your information. Use a three-ring binder or expandable file folder. You must keep copies of all contracts, change orders, invoices, receipts, and permits. These will be invaluable if you have disputes with your contractors and when tax time comes around. Other sections to consider are ideas from magazines, quotes, contractor contact info, and so forth. Don't be afraid to play designer. Many "amateur" home designers come up with great ideas, and since you are living in your home day after day, you can have better ideas than the "pros." So get out a pencil, make 100 copies of your current floor plan, and sketch out all the alternatives. It doesn't matter how great or bad they are, experiment with alternatives.
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