Govt increased LPG prices by Rs 265 since Nov 2020: Congress

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) A day after price of the LPG cylinders was hiked by Rs 25, the Congress slammed the government saying since November last year it has hiked the price of the cooking gas by Rs 265 per cylinder and it has not given any subsidy on the cooking gas since May 2020.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said, "The prices of the LPG cylinders have been hiked once again by Rs 25. With the current hike in the prices, the LPG cylinder price in Delhi has gone to Rs 859."

She said that since November 2020, the government has increased prices of the LPG cylinders by Rs 265, which is a 44 per cent hike. She also said that since May 2020, the government has not given any subsidy on the cooking gas. "In 2014, the subsidy on fuel was Rs 1.47 lakh crore, which has been decreased to Rs 12,000 crore in 2021 Budget," Shrinate said, who was accompanied by party spokespersons Alka Lamba and Radhika Khera.

She said that the government earned Rs 4.53 lakh crore through taxes on fuel but no relief was passed to the people of the country.

This is the second consecutive month that oil companies have hiked domestic cooking gas prices. A domestic cylinder cost Rs 809 on June 1. This was hiked to Rs 834 on July 1.

Slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress leader said, "In June 2013, Modiji said that the people of the country are suffering due to the inflation by the government sitting in Delhi." Shrinate said, "There can be no other falsehood than this, when the people of the country are reeling under inflation, but the government is not worried to give any relief to them by reducing the prices of the LPG."

The Congress leader said that it is a cruel joke on the people of the country due to economic slowdown, unemployment and less earning. She said that if compare the prices of the Saudi Arab's Aramco, then current prices of the crude gas is $611.14 per metric tonne. And as per the current rate of the crude gas, the LPG cylinders should be sold at Rs 600.7 per cylinder in India.

Slamming the government's Ujjwala scheme, she said, "Government keeps on praising its Ujjwala scheme, but they forget to mention that 23 crore people have been pushed below the poverty level. And how many of them can afford the LPG cylinder which is being sold at Rs 859, she asked.

Shrinate demanded the government to show some sinsitivity and reduce the prices of the LPG cylinders immediately so that common people gets some relief.