Gear up for more hikes

With global prices of crude oil touching $60 per barrel, prices of LPG likely to rise further

The report, “Cooking gas, jet fuel prices hiked” (November 2), reveals that the latest increase in prices — by Rs 4.50 per cylinder for subsidised LPG and by Rs 93 per cylinder for non-subsidised LPG — is the 19th hike since July 2016 when the government decided to eliminate subsidy and raise rates every month to contain fiscal deficit. 

The price of non-subsidised LPG has gone up to Rs 742 from Rs 649 while subsidised LPG costs Rs 495.69, up from Rs 490.19. 

With global prices of crude oil touching $60 per barrel, consumers should be prepared for more steep hikes in the price of LPG. The government had decided to do away with the subsidy component of LPG prices even when crude was at a low of $44 per barrel.  

There are now 181.1 million consumers of subsidised LPG and 26.6 million of non-subsidised cooking gas. In which category do our lawmakers belong? Will the government put this information up in the public domain, so one would know how many of them enjoy subsidy?

S Kumar,  New Delhi

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