Government Hikes Rates Of LPG Cylinders, Kerosene

Subsidised cooking gas (LPG) price was today hiked by about Rs. 2 per cylinder and kerosene rate by 26 paisa a litre as government looks to eliminate subsidy on the fuel through small hikes. LPG price in Delhi was hiked by Rs. 1.87 per 14.2-kg cylinder to Rs. 442.77 per bottle, according to state-owned oil firms.

Oil firms had last raised price of subsidised cooking gas by Rs. 5.57 to Rs. 440.90 per 14.2-kg cylinder on April 1. This hike came as the state-owned oil firms on previous two occasions -- February 1 and March 1 -- did not affect any significant rise in prices in view of assembly elections in states like Uttar Pradesh.

Prior to that, they had raised rates by nearly Rs. 2 per cylinder for eight months in line with the Government decision to cut subsidises through calibrated increases every month.

Also, the rate of non-subsidised cooking gas (LPG) was cut by Rs. 92 per cylinder in line with international trends. The reduction comes on back of a Rs. 14.50 per cylinder cut on April 1.

Non-subsidised LPG is bought by consumers who have either given up their subsidies or exhausted the quota of 12 bottles of 14.2-kg in a year at below market price. Subsidised kerosene rate was hiked by Rs. 0.26 per litre.

A litre of kerosene now costs Rs. 19.55 in Mumbai. The government is looking at eliminating subsidy on kerosene through a small 25 paisa increase every month. Also, the price of jet fuel or ATF was cut by a marginal 0.4 per cent to Rs. 51,696 per kilolitre. This reduction comes on back of a 5.1 per cent cut effected from April 1, oil companies said.

Oil firms revise rates of ATF and cooking fuel on 1st of every month based on oil price and foreign exchange rate in the preceding month.