Hyderabad: Civil supplies minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Friday strongly criticised the central government's decision to increase the price of a 19-kg commercial LPG cylinder by an unprecedented Rs 993, and demanded an immediate rollback of the hike.
Terming it ‘unfortunate,' he said the move would burden small businesses, street vendors, hotels, and restaurants, ultimately impacting the common man as the cost of cooked food items is expected to rise.
Allegations of Strategic Timing
Uttam accused the BJP government at the Centre of 'cheating the people' by strategically timing the price hike. 'We have been saying that the BJP government was waiting for polling to conclude in West Bengal to increase prices. Within 24 hours after the second and final phase of polling ended, the BJP government implemented a huge hike in commercial LPG prices,' the minister alleged.
Revised Prices Across Cities
The revised prices, effective Friday, have pushed the cost of a 19-kg commercial cylinder to over Rs 3,000 in most metropolitan cities, up from around Rs 2,000 earlier. In Delhi, the price has risen to Rs 3,071.50, while in Hyderabad it has increased from Rs 2,321 to Rs 3,315, he said. Oil marketing companies have attributed the hike to rising global energy prices linked to ongoing tensions in West Asia, marking the third consecutive monthly increase.
Impact on Common Man
Uttam warned that the hike would have an immediate cascading effect, driving up food prices and significantly impacting the common man. He noted that commercial LPG cylinders are widely used by hotels, cafés, restaurants, and small businesses.
Strongly condemning the move, the minister said Congress has consistently warned against such policies. 'We strongly criticise this decision and demand an immediate rollback to protect small traders and the public from its inflationary impact,' he said.
