Thane, March 7 NCP (SP) workers held a protest in Thane city, Maharashtra, on Saturday against the latest increase in the price of cooking gas, LPG, demanding its reversal.
The protest was held outside the collector's office, according to Manoj Pradhan, the party's Thane district president.
"The government has cited the Iran-Israel war as the reason for the price increase. Even when such a situation was anticipated, there was no planning. This increase will cripple the budgets of ordinary households," he said.
Pradhan alleged that the increase on the eve of International Women's Day was unfair to women managing household expenses.
The party workers demanded that the Centre withdraw the increase, saying it amounted to "stealing from the people at a time when inflation was already high."
The price of domestic cooking gas, LPG, was increased by a steep Rs 60 per cylinder on Saturday, the second increase in the rate in less than a year, as oil companies passed on a portion of the spike in global energy rates that followed the West Asia crisis.
Unsubsidized LPG – the one used by common households in kitchens – will now cost Rs 912.50 per 14.2-kg cylinder in Mumbai, as opposed to Rs 852.50 previously, according to the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) website.
Beneficiaries of the Ujjwala Yojana – the over 10 crore poor who received free LPG connections since 2016 – will also have to bear the same price increase.
In addition, the price of commercial LPG – the one used by establishments such as hotels and restaurants – was increased by Rs 114.5 per 19-kg cylinder. It now costs Rs 1,835 in Mumbai, according to the IOC website. This increase comes on top of the Rs 28 per 19-kg cylinder increase that was implemented on March 1.