LPG price hike to burden MIG section, hoteliers most

CHENNAI: Already reeling under the price hike of essential commodities, the households would be further burdened with yet another hike in the prices of domestic LPG by Rs 50 to Rs 1,118.5 per cylinder.

The increase in the LPG refill is likely to affect the budget of middle, lower-middle and poor families adversely. The price of commercial LPG has been hiked steeply by Rs 350.50 to Rs 2,268 per refill.

T Nagar Residents’ Welfare Association president VS Jayaraman said that instead of hiking the domestic cylinder price, the Centre should have done away with the meagre subsidy of Rs 25 given by it. “The Centre steeply increasing the LPG prices is totally unacceptable even as the people are yet to come out of the COVID impact,” he said. He demanded the ruling DMK government to fulfil its electoral promise of providing a subsidy of Rs 100 per cylinder.

The steep price hike of commercial LPG has shocked hoteliers. “Only now we are recovering from the COVID impact. It would be a setback for us and we can’t afford it,” M Ravi, president, of Chennai Hotel Association said.

CPM state Secretary K Balakrishnan, said, at this time of high unemployment, inflation and poverty, an LPG price hike would create a heavy burden on poor and middle-class people. The DMDK also demanded to cut the cost of gas cylinders.