Mamata, Rahul target govt over LPG price hike

The Centre must stop tormenting the people of India! By repeatedly increasing fuel prices, LPG prices & prices of essential commodities, @BJP4India is actually conducting a ‘GreatIndianLoot’

New Delhi/Kolkata, May 7: The Congress and TMC on Saturday slammed the government over the hike in price of domestic LPG cylinder with former party chief Rahul Gandhi saying millions of Indian households are waging a difficult battle against “extreme inflation”, unemployment and "poor governance”. The Opposition party also said the Central government should roll back the hike in the price of domestic cooking gas cylinder and bring it to the same level as it was for the subsidised cylinder in 2014.

Cooking gas LPG prices were on Saturday hiked by `50 per cylinder, the second increase in rates in just over six weeks following the firming of international energy rates.

Non-subsidised LPG now costs `999.50 per 14.2-kg cylinder in the national capital, up from `949.50 previously, according to a price notification of stateowned fuel retailers.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the BJP-led Central government is “tormenting” the people of the country by regularly raising prices of fuel.

— MAMATA BANERJEE, Bengal, CM

She also accused the Centre of conducting a “great Indian loot” by hiking the prices of petrol, diesel, LPG and other essential commodities.

“The Union government must immediately stop tormenting the people of India! By repeatedly increasing fuel prices, LPG prices & prices of essential commodities, @BJP4India is actually conducting a ‘GreatIndianLoot’. People are being fooled,” Ms Banerjee said on Twitter.

Mr Gandhi said during the Congress-led UPA government, the price of an LPG cylinder was `414 and a subsidy of `827 was being given on every cylinder.