NCP (SP) workers protest in Thane against LPG price hike, demand rollback

NCP SP workers on Saturday held a protest in Maharashtras Thane city against the latest hike in the cooking gas LPG price demanding its rollback reported news agency PTIThe protest was held outside the collectors office the partys Thane district president Manoj Pradhan saidThe government has cited the IranIsrael war as the reason for the price hike Even when such a situation was anticipated there was no planning This increase will collapse the budget of common households he said reported PTIPradhan alleged that the increase on the eve of International Womens Day was unfair to women managing household expensesThe party workers demanded that the Centre withdraw the hike saying it amounted to robbery of the people at a time when inflation was already high reported PTIDomestic cooking gas LPG price on Saturday was hiked by a steep Rs 60 per cylinder the second increase in rate in less than a year as oil companies pass on a part of the spike in global energy rates that followed the West Asia crisisNonsubsidised LPG the one that common households use in kitchens will now cost Rs 91250 per 142kg cylinder in Mumbai as against Rs 85250 previously according to the Indian Oil Corporation IOC websiteUjjwala Yojana beneficiaries the over 10 crore poor who have got free LPG connection since 2016 will also have to bear the same amount of price increaseAlongside the price of commercial LPG the one used by establishments such as hotels and restaurants was increased by Rs 1145 per 19kg cylinder It now costs Rs 1835 in Mumbai as per the IOC website This increase comes on top of the Rs 28 per 19kg cylinder raise effected on March 1Fadnavis frowns on speculative LPG cylinder shortage reports not in interest of countryMeanwhile Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said news reports on the potential shortage of LPG cylinders amid the West Asia conflict are speculative and not in the interest of the country reported PTIHe appealed to the media to refrain from speculative reporting stressing that the Centre is looking into the situationResponding to a query regarding news reports about the potential shortage of LPG cylinders Fadnavis appealed to the media not to create panic or fear among the citizens without any reason reported PTIShowing speculative reports and discussing hypothetical scenarios leads to panic and confusion which is not in the interest of the country and society The Central government has clearly stated this yesterday he added reported PTIWith inputs from PTI