Cylinder Price Hike Sparks Concerns Among Consumers!

Cylinder Price Hike Sparks Concerns !

Poonam Mayani

In a recent development, the price of domestic cooking gas cylinders has been increased by the government.

The move has sparked concerns among consumers, who are already struggling to make ends meet due to the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The price hike, which is the second in less than three months, was announced by the state-run oil marketing companies, including Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation, and Bharat Petroleum Corporation. Cooking gas prices hiked by ₹50 for domestic; ₹350.50 for commercial cylinders

The oil companies have attributed the price hike to the rise in global crude oil prices and the depreciation of the Indian rupee against the US dollar. They have also clarified that the new rates will not affect consumers who have subscribed to the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), a scheme aimed at providing free LPG connections to poor households.

However, this has not placated the concerns of the average consumer, who sees the increase as yet another burden on their already strained budgets. With many families still recovering from the economic impacts of the pandemic, any increase in the price of essential goods like cooking gas can have a significant impact on their monthly expenses.

Consumer groups have criticized the government’s decision, calling for the immediate roll-back of the price hike. They have also demanded that the government take steps to address the root causes of the increase, such as by reducing the tax burden on LPG and exploring alternative sources of energy.

The government, for its part, has defended the price hike, stating that it is necessary to ensure that the oil companies can cover their costs and continue to provide high-quality LPG to consumers.

It has also highlighted the steps taken by the government to increase access to clean energy, such as the PMUY scheme and the Ujjwala 2.0 scheme, which aims to provide free LPG connections to an additional 10 million households.

The current price hike of cooking gas cylinders has once again highlighted the challenges faced by the average Indian household in meeting their daily needs.

As the government and consumer groups continue to debate the issue, it remains to be seen whether the price of LPG will remain at its current level or increase further in the coming months.

02-03-2023

Headline image: Satirical poster comes up in Hyderabad on LPG price hike

Mahabahu.com is an Online Magazine with collection of premium Assamese and English articles and posts with cultural base and modern thinking. You can send your articles to editor@mahabahu.com / editor@mahabahoo.com ( For Assamese article, Unicode font is necessary)