New Delhi
India’s leading city gas distributor, Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL), on Sunday increased compressed natural gas (CNG) prices by Re 1 per kg across its network, marking the second price hike within 48 hours and adding further pressure on commuters and transport operators in the Delhi-NCR region.
With the latest revision, the price of CNG in Delhi has risen to Rs 80.09 per kg, crossing the Rs 80 mark for the first time. In Noida and Ghaziabad, the revised price now stands at Rs 88.70 per kg. The increase comes just two days after IGL had raised CNG prices by Rs 2 per kg on May 15, when rates in Delhi had climbed to Rs 79.09 per kg.
The repeated hikes are expected to increase transportation expenses for private vehicle owners, taxi operators and public transport users who depend heavily on CNG as a relatively economical fuel option. Auto-rickshaw drivers, cab aggregators and small transport businesses are likely to feel the impact of the rising fuel costs in the coming days.
The latest rise in CNG prices coincides with a broader revision in retail fuel rates announced by the Central government on May 15. Petrol prices in the national capital were increased by around Rs 3 per litre, while diesel prices also went up by nearly Rs 3 per litre. Following the revision, petrol in Delhi is being sold at Rs 97.77 per litre and diesel at Rs 90.67 per litre.
The increase in fuel prices comes amid rising geopolitical tensions in West Asia and the ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most crucial energy trade routes. A significant portion of global oil and gas supplies passes through the narrow maritime corridor, and disruptions in the region have led to a sharp increase in international crude oil prices.
Responding to criticism over the fuel price hike, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju stated that India has managed to keep petrol and diesel price increases relatively limited despite the steep rise in global crude oil prices. He pointed out that several countries have witnessed fuel price increases ranging from 20 per cent to almost 100 per cent, whereas India’s petrol and diesel prices have risen by only 3.2 per cent and 3.4 per cent respectively.
Rijiju further said that even after Brent crude crossed the 100 dollars per barrel mark and international energy markets turned volatile, public sector oil marketing companies in India absorbed substantial losses for several weeks to reduce the inflationary impact on consumers.
