Lucknow

Following the increase in price of the commercial LPG cylinder, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Saturday said that a sense of unease prevails among the public over apprehensions that the prices of cooking gas, petrol, diesel and other petroleum products are bound to rise as well.

In an X post in Hindi, Mayawati said, "Amidst a severe shortage of commercial gas cylinders in the country, a one-time price hike of Rs 993 and its impact on the daily lives of the common people are dominating headlines across media, including the electronic media. A sense of unease prevails among the public over apprehension that the prices of cooking gas, petrol, diesel and other petroleum products are bound to rise as well."

"Regardless of the actual cause -- whether the US-Israel conflict with Iran or something else -- the government, which successfully kept the prices of petroleum products and similar commodities largely under control in the run-up to assembly elections in various states, should continue the policy. Doing so, in the broader interest of public welfare and well-being, would be appropriate for the nation," Mayawati said.

In Delhi as well, the price of commercial cylinders at the new rates will now exceed Rs 3,000, she said.

She advised the government to formulate policies only after assessing the impact of a rise in prices of petroleum products on the majority of the country's poor and middle-class citizens, who are already reeling under the burden of inflation.

The price of a 19 kg commercial LPG cylinder was hiked the steepest ever, by Rs 993, on Friday. This marked the third straight increase over rising global energy prices in the aftermath of the US-Israel-Iran conflict.

The 19 kg commercial LPG, used by establishments such as hotels and restaurants, now costs Rs 3,071.5 in Delhi compared to Rs 2,078.50 previously.

The rates were last increased by 195.50 per cylinder on April 1. Before that, they had gone up by Rs 114.5 on March 1.

The price of a domestic LPG cylinder, the one used in household kitchens, remained unchanged on Friday. Domestic LPG rates were last hiked by Rs 60 per 14.2 kg cylinder on March 7. It costs Rs 913 in Delhi.

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The State-owned Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum, and Hindustan Petroleum revise ATF (Aviation Turbine Fuel) and LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) prices on the first day of every month based on the international benchmarks and exchange rates.

Global oil prices have shot up almost 50 per cent ever since the war in West Asia disrupted energy supply chains.