Cooking gas prices were hiked across India, pushing up the cost of both domestic and commercial LPG cylinders amid supply disruptions. The crisis has forced some Indian kitchens to ditch certain food items in their menu, while some establishments scramble to look for alternatives of gas.
The price of a 14.2 kg domestic cooking gas cylinder was raised by ₹60 around a week back, while the 19 kg commercial cylinder has become costlier by ₹144 across major cities and states of the country.
The revision comes amid disruptions in LPG supply chains caused by escalating conflict in West Asia involving US, Israel, and Iran.
The joint attack by US and Israel on Iran, followed by the Islamic Republic’s retaliation has led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which India gets 85-90% of its LPG imports from West Asian nations, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
How the India tackling cooking gas crisis?
The Central government on Tuesday invoked the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 aimed at maintaining natural gas supplies amid a shortage of supply in the country due to geopolitical tensions in West Asia.
The Act empowers the Center to regulate or prohibit the production, supply, distribution, trade, and commerce of essential commodities, such as food items, fertilizers, drugs, and fuel. The move is typically used to prevent hoarding, black marketing, and artificial shortages.
Meanwhile, India is also procuring additional liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) shipments from new suppliers, including the United States, Norway, Canada, and Russia, while continuing to source from available Gulf region exporters, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Thursday, 12 March.
Price of domestic and commercial LPG in major Indian cities — full list
| city | Domestic rates | commercial rates |
|---|---|---|
| New Delhi | ₹913 | ₹1,884.50 |
| mumbai | ₹912.50 | ₹1,836 |
| Kolkata | ₹939 | ₹1,988.50 |
| Chennai | ₹928.50 | ₹2,043.50 |
| Hyderabad | ₹965 | ₹2,105.50 |
| Lucknow | ₹950.50 | ₹2,007 |
| Bengaluru | ₹915.50 | ₹1,958 |
| Patna | ₹1,002.50 | ₹2,133.50 |
Restaurants, eateries bear the brunt of the crisis
Communities, canteens, hotels and restaurants across the country are facing severe disruption due to LPG supply curbs for uses other than households and the four priority sectors.
Some eateries have stopped serving non-vegetarian items such as mutton, as they take longer time to cook and consume more cooking gas. Meanwhile, in cities like Hyderabad, the food establishments are forced to switch to firewood stoves.
As a result, langars and Atal canteens have also been forced to cut menu options and come up with contingency plans, while restaurants are also actively changing menus, raising prices and even temporarily shutting down operations to limit the consumption of fuel.
Though the price of commercial and domestic cylinders have been increased, it is important to note that the rates of LPG canisters under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana remain unchanged, PTI reported earlier.
The scheme covers over 10 crore gas connections, which are provided to low-income households of the country.
