In view of rise in the prices of diesel and petrol, Centre today again appealed the states to reduce the VAT on the two products to give relief to the consumers. Replying to a media query in New Delhi, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, the hike is due to increase in international prices of Petrol and Diesel which is expected to be rationalized in few days. He said the government is keeping a watch over the price rise. <br/><br/>Earlier, Mr. Pradhan launched the first round of Open Acreage Licensing Programme for international competitive bidding under Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing policy. <br/><br/>He said for the first time in the history of oil and gas industry, block offering will be selected by exploration and production( E&P) operators themselves and not by the government. This is the largest ever offering for E&P in more than a decade. <br/><br/>He said the Centre firmly believes that natural resources should be made available to every citizen of the country therefore transparent allocation of resources is a must. The Minister also launched the e-bidding portal and the Notice Inviting Offer.