• 'Cost has grown by 2.5 times,' the Congress attacks centre

    National
    'Cost has grown by 2.5 times,' the Congress attacks centre

    Digital Desk: The
    Congress hit back at the Centre on Saturday, alleging that the price of
    domestic liquified petroleum gas (LPG) has increased by Rs 50 per cylinder,
    making it out of reach for the poor and middle classes.



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    "The
    cost of subsidised cooking gas has escalated by 2.5 times, making it out of
    reach for poor and middle-class homes," claimed Congress general secretary
    Randeep Surjewala in a tweet, comparing prices from 2014 to 2022.
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    mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#424242">Cooking gas became
    more expensive by Rs 50 per cylinder on Saturday, raising the price to above Rs
    1,000 every 14.2 kg refill in major areas, following the second rate hike in
    less than two months.
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    mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#424242">Surjewala expressed
    concern about the price increase of Rs 100 in the recent 45 days. On March 22,
    the price was hiked by Rs 50.



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    Surjewala
    said that the cost of cooking gas had climbed by Rs 585.50 from May 2014, when
    it was Rs 414. He urged that the price be reduced to match the rate in 2014. He
    went on to say that the then-Congress government offered LPG subsidies worth Rs
    39,558 crore in 2012-13 and Rs 46,458 crore in 2013-14.
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    mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#424242">"It is our demand
    that the present price of domestic LPG gas be reduced to that of 2014,"
    senior Congress leader Pawan Khera stated at a press conference held at the
    party's headquarters on Saturday.
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    mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;color:#222222">Earlier
    this month, the price of a 19-kg commercial LPG cylinder was raised by Rs 102.
    A 5-kg commercial LPG cylinder has increased in price to Rs 655.



    This
    isn't the first time that cooking gas costs have risen dramatically. In January
    2014, the price of a 14.2 kilogram cylinder in Delhi was Rs 1,241. According
    to official data, its costs have been erratic since then, but starting May 1,
    2020 (at Rs 581.5 per cylinder), they have proceeded up in a unilinear
    trajectory, with the exception of a modest Rs 10 per cylinder price cut in
    April 2021.


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