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Hyderabad: City households are now paying the second-highest price for domestic LPG cylinders among major Indian cities after the latest Rs 29 hike pushed the cost of a 14.2-kg cylinder to Rs 994, underscoring the growing burden of cooking fuel on family budgets. For a household consuming one cylinder a month, the additional burden works out to Rs 1,068 annually compared with pre-March levels. Families using more than one cylinder every month will face a proportionately higher increase in expenditure.Only Patna, where a domestic cylinder now costs Rs 1,031.50, has a higher price than Hyderabad. In comparison, consumers in Delhi pay Rs 942 per cylinder, while the price stands at Rs 941.50 in Mumbai, Rs 944.50 in Bengaluru, Rs 945.50 in Jaipur, Rs 957.50 in Chennai and Rs 968 in Kolkata.The latest revision has pushed Hyderabad’s LPG price close to the Rs 1,000-mark and widened the gap between the Telangana capital and several other metros. Consumers in Hyderabad are now paying about Rs 52 more than their counterparts in Delhi and Mumbai, and Rs 36.50 more than consumers in Chennai.The increase is also significant because it is the second hike in three months. Domestic LPG prices were raised by Rs 60 in March, and the latest Rs 29 revision has taken the cumulative increase since then to Rs 89 per cylinder.“The latest increase may appear modest in isolation, but it comes at a time when households are already grappling with higher spending on food, education, healthcare and transportation” Ramesh Burra , a private teacher said. Cooking gas remains an essential commodity for most urban and semi-urban families, leaving little room to cut consumption when prices rise,” he added.Industry sources attribute the latest revision to pressures arising from international fuel costs and the need to align domestic prices more closely with market realities. India imports a substantial portion of its LPG requirements, making retail prices vulnerable to fluctuations in global energy markets.
