LPG hike: Home cooking and eating out expected to cost more

With the Union government on Saturday increasing the price of non-subsidised domestic LPG by ₹60 per cylinder and of commercial LPG by ₹130 per cylinder, following the conflict in West Asia affecting the prices of petroleum products, the prices in Bengaluru will go up to ₹915.50 (14.2 kg) and ₹1,981 (19 kg), respectively.

Earlier, the price of a domestic LPG per cylinder was ₹855.50, and commercial cylinders cost ₹1,866.50 in the city.

The steep hike is feared to affect both the domestic economy and the cost of eating out.

Burden on families

“For a middle-class family like ours, every rupee counts. The cost of milk, cooking oil, and other ingredients has already increased. Now, even basic cooking is becoming expensive,” said Bhanupriya, a homemaker from Basavanagudi.

Daily wage earners and lower-income groups are feeling the pinch more acutely. “The cost of living in Bengaluru is rising sharply. House rent and school fees for children are high. Now, this hike in LPG cylinder prices by the Union government will impact us significantly,” said Dilip Kumar, an autorickshaw driver, who urged the government to ease the burden on the poor. He added that the cost of auto LPG is also up, adding to their burden.

‘Could have waited’

The Bangalore Hotels Association has stated that the Union government could have waited for a few more days instead of immediately increasing the price of LPG.

Speaking to The Hindu, P.C. Rao, president of the Bangalore Hotels Association, said, “The Union government used to give a discount in the range of ₹120 to ₹150 on the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) for bulk buyers of commercial LPG cylinders. However, this discount has been stopped since March 1 this year. On Saturday, the price of commercial LPG was increased by ₹130. With this, the price of commercial LPG has increased by ₹280 in a week.”

He argued that instead of increasing the price immediately, the Union government could have waited for a few more days.

Wait and watch

Further, Mr. Rao stated that the price of cooking oil, coffee and other commodities has already been increased due to the war in West Asia.

“In addition, the State government has increased the electricity tariff recently. And, the garbage collection tax has been fixed at ₹12 per kg. Therefore, the price of food and snacks in hotels and restaurants will inevitably increase. It is a big burden on us. However, we will not immediately put this price burden on our customers. We will wait and watch for a week. But under unavoidable circumstances, we will hold a meeting with the members of the association and will take an appropriate decision,” he said.

Protest against hike

On Saturday, Congress workers held protests against the hike with placards and empty gas cylinders. Taking to X, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly surrendered India’s strategic autonomy by aligning blindly with the United States and disrupting India’s long-standing energy partnerships with nations such as Russia and Iran, partners that historically ensured energy stability for our people.”