Modi Masks and Empty Cylinders: Congress protests against LPG price hike in Bengaluru

Youth Congress workers staged a protest in Bengaluru against the sudden hike in prices of domestic and commercial LPG cylinders on March 1.

The workers protested with empty cylinders while wearing masks of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to showcase their anguish and draw attention from the Central Government to the issue.

They also showed placards which reads “People this is Ache Din”, and “My (PM Modi) aim is to increase prices”.

The prices of domestic Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders have been hiked by Rs 50 per 14.2 kg unit by the oil marketing companies (OMCs). This is the first hike in the domestic LPG cylinders since July 2022.

With this price hike, the domestic 14.2 kg cylinder is now cost Rs 1,103 in Delhi, Rs 1,102.50 in Mumbai, Rs 1,129 in Kolkata, and Rs 1,118.50 in Chennai. The revised prices are in effect from today, March 1.

The prices of commercial LPG cylinders have also been hiked by Rs 350.50 per 19 kg unit in Delhi to Rs 2,119.50 with corresponding changes in other parts of the country.

Also Read: Domestic LPG price hiked by Rs 50; check revised LPG cylinder prices here

Notably, the last price hike was made in the domestic LPG cylinders in July last year when the Global crude oil and fuel prices had drastically increased due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The public sector OMCs—IOC, Bharat Petroleum Corporation, and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation freeze the regular revisions in the prices of petrol, diesel and domestic LPG in a bid to shield consumers from high fuel price volatility. The extreme fuel price volatility has now subsided to a large extent.

Due to the halt in the regular price revision the OMCs suffered heavy losses as they were selling the fuel and LPG gas below global prices. In October, the Centre gave a one-time special grant of Rs 22,000 crore to the three companies to compensate them for their losses on domestic LPG sales.