THANE: NCP (SP) workers on Saturday held a protest in Maharashtra’s Thane city against the latest hike in the cooking gas LPG price, demanding its rollback.
The protest was held outside the collector’s office, the party’s Thane district president Manoj Pradhan said.
“The government has cited the Iran-Israel war as the reason for the price hike. Even when such a situation was anticipated, there was no planning. This increase will collapse the budget of common households,” he said.
Pradhan alleged that the increase on the eve of International Women’s Day was unfair to women managing household expenses.
The party workers demanded that the Centre withdraw the hike, saying it amounted to “robbery of the people at a time when inflation was already high”.
Domestic cooking gas LPG price on Saturday was hiked by a steep Rs 60 per cylinder, the second increase in rate in less than a year, as oil companies pass on a part of the spike in global energy rates that followed the West Asia crisis.
Non-subsidised LPG - the one that common households use in kitchens - will now cost Rs 912.50 per 14.2-kg cylinder in Mumbai as against Rs 852.50 previously, according to the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) website.
Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries - the over 10 crore poor who have got free LPG connection since 2016 - will also have to bear the same amount of price increase.
Alongside, the price of commercial LPG - the one used by establishments such as hotels and restaurants - was increased by Rs 114.5 per 19-kg cylinder. It now costs Rs 1,835 in Mumbai, as per the IOC website. This increase comes on top of the Rs 28 per 19-kg cylinder raise effected on March 1.