Centre should withdraw LPG price hike, says Anbumani

CHENNAI: PMK President Anbumani Ramadoss on Wednesday urged the Central government to withdraw the LPG price hike announcement. Taking to Twitter, Anbumani said, "With the increase of Rs 50, the domestic LPG cylinder in Chennai is sold at Rs 1,068.5. Even after the LPG domestic cylinder crosses the Rs 1,000 mark central government without fail is constantly hiking the price of domestic LPG cylinder every month".

He also said that in the last 14 months, price of domestic LPG cylinders had been increased 12 times. "Last year the price of domestic LPG cylinders was Rs 710 and now there is a price hike of Rs 358 which is 50.44 percent higher. Such a steep hike in prices cannot be tolerated by poor and middle class people,” said Anbumani.

He further said that the price of LPG in the international market has not risen and the decrease in the price of commercial cylinders by Rs 8.50 per cylinder is proof of it. "Under the circumstances, what is the need for increasing the prices of domestic LPG cylinders alone,” he asked.

At a time when there are demands to extend the Ujjwala scheme to all the domestic LPG users the rise of prices of LPG cylinders will affect them badly and so the central government apart from withdrawing the price hike announcement should provide domestic LPG cylinders at subsidised cost.