Amid bracing up the distress over the surging prices of fuel, the Indian people have got shouldered by yet another burden as the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cooking gas cylinders across all categories including subsidised gas has on Wednesday increased by Rs 25 per cylinder. The latest increase in subsidised LPG price now has taken the cumulative rate hike to Rs 190 per cylinder since January 1.

According to PTI, the latest increase is the third hike in prices in two months. Earlier, subsidised and non-subsidised LPG rates were hiked by Rs 25.50 per cylinder on July 1 and the prices for both the categories of cylinders were risen by Rs 25 per cylinder on August 1 and by the same amount of August 18. A price increase notification by the oil companies on Wednesday has said that the subsidised, as well as non-subsidised LPG, now costs Rs 884.50 per 14.2 kg cylinder in Delhi. 

PTI has quoted the industry sources saying that the subsidised LPG price was not raised on August 1 because the Parliament session was going on and the government could have faced major criticism by the opposition parties. It has been reported that the price of domestic cooking gas has more than doubled in the last seven years - the retail selling price of domestic gas was Rs 410.5 per 14.2 kg cylinder on March 1, 2014. 

In Mumbai, a 14.2 kg cylinder now costs Rs 884.50 while the same costs Rs 911 in Kolkata - the highest among the four metro cities and it costs Rs 900.5 in Chennai. On the other hand, the price of a 19 kg commercial cylinder has also been increased by Rs 75, which will now cost Rs 1,693 in Delhi. In India, the government policy provides the supply of 12 cylinders of 14.2 kg each per household at subsidised or below-market rates. 

Breaching the limit, the cylinders will be sold at market price or non-subsidised rates. The latest price increase has come to effect from September 1. The increase of the LPG price has attracted major flak from the opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has on Wednesday slammed the Union government for the rising price of petrol, diesel, and cooking gas. At a press conference, he said, "Modi ji keeps saying GDP is rising. Finance Minister says GDP is showing an upward projection. I then understood what they mean by GDP. It means gas, diesel, and petrol."