Consumers slam hike in price of LPG cylinders

Deepa H. Ramakrishnan

CHENNAI,SEPTEMBER 05, 2017 00:00 IST

UPDATED: SEPTEMBER 05, 2017 03:45 IST

More pain ahead:Oil industry sources say prices will witness an upward trend till March.file photo  

Non-subsidised cylinder will now cost Rs. 607

Domestic liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices have gone up by Rs. 74 per cylinder in September. Last month, the price of a non-subsidised cylinder in Chennai was Rs. 533 and this month it is Rs. 607.

Oil industry sources explained that this is just the beginning of the upward trend, which is likely to continue till March next year. “Unlike prices of petrol and diesel that are linked to crude oil prices, LPG prices are linked to international butane and propane rates. Butane and propane are combined to make LPG. The hike happens when consumption increases in the West when their heating requirement increases,” the source explained.

LPG prices are revised in the beginning of every month.

Last year in March, in Chennai, a cylinder of domestic LPG cylinder was priced at Rs. 746.50, which was the highest price that year, after which it came down to Rs. 533.

Consumers are grumbling about the increase. S. Lalitha, a resident of West Mambalam, said that already consumers were burdened by 5% GST on domestic LPG.

“We are shelling out more on petrol prices that have touched Rs. 72 a litre now. Though the government keeps saying that inflation rates are down, they don’t seem to be taking into consideration the prices of other goods. We now pay Rs. 1,500 as GST for a provision bill of Rs. 10,000, which is quite steep. Vegetables and fruits are very costly too. If prices keep going up, how can consumers like us afford things,” she asked.

T. Sadagopan, consumer activist, said that another problem that consumers face is that of subsidy amount being credited into incorrect bank accounts.

“Many have linked mobile numbers with their Aadhar numbers and after that, we are receiving text messages that the subsidy amount has been sent to some other bank account. Distributors and our bankers are unable to help consumers,” he said.