New Delhi
Cooking gas LPG price on Wednesday was hiked by Rs 50 per cylinder, the third increase in rates since May on firming international energy prices.
Non-subsidised LPG now costs Rs 1,053 per 14.2-kg cylinder in the national capital, up from Rs 1,003 previously, according to a price notification of state-owned fuel retailers. Common households pay non-subsidised rates for the cooking gas they buy, after the government restricted subsidy to just poor beneficiaries who got connections under the Ujjwala scheme.
This is the third increase in the LPG rate since May and the fourth this year. The price was hiked by Rs 50 per cylinder on March 22 and again by the same quantum on May 7.
Rates went up by Rs 3.50 per cylinder on May 19. Prices have gone up by Rs 244 per cylinder since June 2021. Of this, Rs 153.50 increase happened since March 2022. Petrol and diesel prices, however, continue to be on freeze for the third straight month. The pause followed rates being hiked by a record Rs 10 per litre in a matter of 16 days beginning March 22.
In May, the government cut excise duty on petrol by Rs 8 per litre and diesel by Rs 6 per litre to cool soaring inflation. Alongside, oil firms also hiked the price of commercial LPG cylinders the ones used by establishments like hotels and restaurants.
While India has surplus oil refining capacity, it does not manufacture enough LPG to meet domestic demand and imports significant quantities from nations such as Saudi Arabia.
