Odisha has become the first state in India where diesel is costlier than petrol as diesel was sold at ₹80.69 per litre on Sunday in Bhubaneswar while petrol at ₹80.57 per litre. Utkal Petroleum Dealers Association general secretary Sanjay Lath said while other states have different VAT rates for petrol and diesel, Odisha charges a uniform 26% VAT on both.With diesel becoming costlier than petrol in Odisha, the ruling Biju Janata Dal and the opposition Congress Sunday blamed the “faulty” policy of the central government for the rise in price of diesel. Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who is from Odisha, again asked the state government to reduce the rate of VAT to give relief to people.