LPG price hike hits city residents hard

Farhan Gheta
Bengaluru

The cost of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders was increased by Rs 50 on July 6. This was the third price hike in the last two months and fourth this year. Many city residents felt that it would break their back as prices of other commodities too are skyrocketing by the day.

“I spend Rs 8,000 on gas cylinders every month. So, another hike will obviously affect my business,” said Prakash, who runs a South Indian meals shop near Kudlu. He said he set up the restaurant three months ago and he is barely making any profit because of expensive ingredients. “If it is not cylinders, it is oil, if not oil then rent, everything is expensive these days,” he said.

Rakesh, who works as a supervisor in a local company, noted that the government had promised to decrease the cylinder prices. “Instead, it has increased the price,” said the resident of Hosapalya, who spends Rs 2,000 on gas every month.

“It would be good if the government made cylinders more affordable,” he said. “I remember when cylinders were only 470 rupees,” said Uma, who runs a grocery store near Bommanahalli. “There are six people in my house, even a Rs 50 hike will be difficult to manage,” she said. Uma said everything had become expensive and that the government, despite promising a decent standard of living, had allowed prices to rise unfavourably.

“This is too much, only a few days ago the government hiked the prices, why burden the citizens again?” Reena, who runs a beauty parlour in Hosapalya asked. She noted that after COVID, everything became expensive and unaffordable. “The government promised to reduce the prices of all basic amenities but I do not believe that they will reduce even a single rupee” she said.

Ratnamma, who serves homemade food on a pushcart near Christ University, said “I do not know what to do, everything is so expensive.” She explained that she needs more than two cylinders every month for her business alone and managing the expenses has become increasingly difficult.

“I have been here for 30 years but I have not been able to build a house for myself. Everything is so expensive, the cylinders, the electricity bills, the water bills, the rent. We work and then we eat. That is all. All our money goes before we can save anything. How can we live like this?” she asked.