The Congress on Wednesday hit out at the government over the hike in LPG cylinder prices and said it would stop “looting” domestic consumers by providing cylinders for less than Rs 500 if voted to power at the Centre.
The price of cooking gas LPG was hiked by Rs 50 per cylinder on Wednesday – the first increase in rates in nearly eight months – which came within days of the end of polling in three northeastern states and was sharply criticized by the opposition .
According to the price notification of state-owned fuel retailers, the price of a 14.2 kg LPG cylinder in Delhi has now increased from Rs 1,053 to Rs 1,103.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that the price of a domestic LPG cylinder has been increased by Rs 50 and that of a commercial gas cylinder by Rs 350 at a time when everyone in the country is facing the brunt of high inflation.
The public is asking – how to make Holi dishes now, how long will this looting process continue? Everyone is bearing the brunt of the back-breaking inflation implemented by the (Narendra) Modi government.
congress leader Rahul Gandhi It has been said in “Mitra Kaal” that the pockets of the public are being cut and those of “friends” are being filled.
Comparing the price of LPG cylinder in 2014 during the Congress tenure and that of the BJP, he said the cost of one cylinder was Rs 410, the subsidy was Rs 827, while the price of one LPG in 2023 under the BJP was Rs. The cylinder is Rs 1,103 and the subsidy is nil.
In the era of Congress, relief was given in the form of subsidy, in the Mitra era, only public pockets were cut and the money of the country was distributed in charity to ‘Mitra’ (friends). Hindi.
Party spokesperson Gaurav Vallabh said that Prime Minister Modi has given the gift of Holi to the people in the form of hike in LPG prices.
He said that if the Congress comes to power at the Centre, it will provide gas cylinders under Rs 500 on the lines of those provided by its government in Rajasthan.
“If the Congress comes to power, the party promises to provide domestic LPG cylinders at less than Rs 500 being provided by the Rajasthan government. Vallabh told reporters, Modi ji should take a lesson from the Congress government in Rajasthan and should not loot the people of the country with high taxes.
He said that any increase in prices has a cascading effect on all articles.
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that the BJP government has once again increased the prices of cylinders and this time just before Holi.
“Since 2014, the government has increased the price of cylinders by 275 per cent. The Congress government had a cylinder of Rs 400, the Congress government of Rajasthan is giving a cylinder of Rs 500. Prime Minister tell me, then why is your government looting the public like this.
Senior Congress leader from Haryana Deepender Singh Hooda said that instead of giving relief from inflation, this arrogant government is giving economic pain to the common, poor and middle class at every step.
“During the UPA government, when the price of a gas cylinder was Rs 350, BJP leaders came out on the streets with cylinders on their heads, their pictures are still available on social media. Now even after the price of cylinder has crossed Rs 1100, BJP leaders have gone on mute mode.
He demanded that the government roll back the price hike immediately and said, “When the Congress government comes to power, it will be ensured that (domestic) consumers do not have to pay more than Rs 500 for cooking gas (cylinder). “
Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Waring said the steep hike in the prices of LPG cylinders reflected the “anti-common people mindset” of the BJP government at the Centre.
In a tweet, Waring said, “Common people’s income is falling, they are not getting jobs, their savings are drying up and the government is adding burden so that no one can live a happy life.”
State-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) said the price hike was Rs 1,103 for a 14.2 kg non-subsidised LPG cylinder .
The government does not provide any subsidy to most non-Ujjwala users and this is the rate they will have to pay to buy LPG refills.
The government gives a subsidy of Rs 200 per cylinder to the 9.58 crore poor who get free LPG connections under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. The effective price for them will be Rs 903 per cylinder.
State-owned fuel retailers are supposed to revise rates on a monthly basis in line with the cost, but they have not done so since 2020 and were given a one-time grant of Rs 22,000 crore in October last year, so that there is no gap between them. The loss can be compensated. June 2020 and June 2022.
He had revised the price of domestic LPG on July 4 last year.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)