LPG, diesel, CNG turn costlier in Delhi

Delhiites will have to shell out more money for virtually everything from cooking gas to diesel with the Delhi government withdrawing a Rs-40 subsidy on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder and increasing value added tax (VAT) on diesel in its Budget for 2010-11 announced today.

LPG will now cost Rs 321 a cylinder in Delhi, while diesel will cost Rs 35.29 a litre from Rs 32.92 a litre. Besides, the government imposed a 5 per cent VAT on compressed natural gas (CNG), the fuel used for public transport like buses.

State-run Indraprastha Gas Ltd, the capital’s sole CNG retailer, had last week increased CNG prices by 50 paise per kg. The new prices were Rs 21.70 per kg in Delhi, Rs 23.50 per kg in Noida and Greater Noida and Rs 25.50 per kg in Ghaziabad.

Oil marketing companies had earlier increased prices of petrol and diesel by Rs 2.71 a litre and Rs 2.55 a litre, respectively, due to Re 1 excise duty hike and 5 per cent Customs duty increase in crude oil.