LPG price hike hits pockets hard

April 11, 2025 4 Views No Comment

Morung Express news
Kohima | April 11

Soon after the centre’s announcement to hike prices of cooking gas cylinders by Rs. 50 early this week, the effect has been immediate for refillers here in the state.

Realizing this change, a consumer who had just got her LPG gas refilled at the gas agency expressed how hikes are very drastic and swift. “I refilled the gas on Wednesday, a day after the centre’s announcement, I paid Rs. 970 which includes delivery charge which the gas agency charges,” she said.

The government on April 7 hiked excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 2 per litre and announced increase in price of cooking gas cylinders by Rs 50.

Both these steps, according to Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, are aimed at providing relief to public sector oil marketing companies (OMCs) by compensating them for their accumulated losses on cooking gas sales. To insulate consumers from high prices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG, or cooking gas) in the international market, the OMCs have been selling LPG to households at a loss.

“At first I didn’t realize the hike and thought it was due to some new financial year changes, “she stated, adding that every single instant of inflation in the country reminds people of how livelihood is becoming more difficult day by day.

“For us common people, we don’t understand the dynamics of the economy and don’t understand what the government does to rationalize its policies but life of the common man is no easy today,” a school teacher said. “Even when there is an LPG subsidy which is about 6 rupees, this sounds like a blunder because it doesn’t make any difference,” he stated.

Angun, who resides in state capital, said she does not have a gas card, and so procures refill from the black market. “It is likely that the black market will raise its rate. It was about Rs. 1500,” Angun informed, expressing how people like them have to rationalize their expenses keeping in mind the growing inflation. She explained how salary increment of private employees is negligible while prices of essential goodshave been drastically increasing.

“From humble street vendors to bustling hotel kitchens and catering services. And yet, every household and business depends on something as basic as an LPG cylinder to function,” Yanpvuo Kikon from Kohima meanwhile stated.

He said that when cost of essentials keep rising and incomes continue to shrink, it is not just a financial strain but a clear sign that something is deeply wrong with people’s economic priorities. He observed that increase in GDP should correlate with citizens having more surplus money to spend on things rather than struggling with basic needs. “But reality seems to be the opposite; our youths are struggling to get jobs while our mothers are struggling to run the kitchen,” he added.