Shimla

Eatery owners in Shimla have condemned the steep hike of Rs 993 in commercial LPG cylinder prices and cautioned that it would fuel inflation, as food prices would also go up as a consequence.

"Our fear that the government may increase the LPG cylinder prices after the assembly elections in the five states has come true. This is the second time since the start of the US-Israel-Iran war that the rates have been revised. The price of a 19 kg commercial cylinder has touched Rs 3,071 now," said a local shopkeeper.

The price of a 5 kg cylinder has gone up from Rs 549 to Rs 810, registering a 48 per cent increase, which would hit small consumers such as labourers and petty workers, he said.

Talking to PTI Videos on Saturday, Varun, who runs a sweet shop in Shimla, said the commercial gas cylinder price has gone up by around Rs 1,000 in the city, and the cost, including the logistic expenses, would now be around Rs 3,450.

"We used to get two cylinders at this price. Not only regular customers but also tourists will feel the pinch, as the price burden would be naturally transferred to customers. High food rates would also affect our business," he said.

Tavesh, who runs an 85-year-old sweet shop in Ram Bazaar that also serves tea and snacks such as samosa and chole bhature, said that LPG rates are rising and considering that it takes at least four days to get the cylinders, their profit margins have gone down.

"Till now, we have not increased the food prices though the rate of raw material has gone up and everything is becoming expensive," he said, wondering how long they could hold on.

Inderjeet Singh, a hotelier and former president of Shimla Veopar Mandal, criticised the Union government, saying that earlier there was a shortage of commercial cylinders and now, after elections in the five states, the rates have been increased as well.

Singh, who is also president of the Shimla Urban District Congress Committee, maintained that hoteliers, dhaba owners and tea sellers are feeling the heat of gas price hike, but the burden would ultimately be transferred to the customer, as food prices would go up.

He alleged that the Union government's policies are affecting commoners.

"Steep price hikes should have been avoided. In the coming days, the government is likely to increase the domestic cylinder prices as well," he said.

CPI(M) leader Vijender Mehra also reiterated that they had expected the prices to go up after the elections.

"We had apprehensions that the government would place the burden on people after the elections," he said.

The Union government is citing the US-Israel-Iran war as the reason for the gas price hike, he said, accusing it of cheating people after the elections.

Taking a jibe at the government's "Make in India" slogan, he questioned what it has done in the last 12 years to make self-reliance possible in the gas and petroleum sector.

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Earlier, the government increased the price of domestic cylinders by Rs 60, he pointed out.

Terming the steep hike in commercial gas price "anti-people", he demanded its immediate rollback. He warned of protests in the state in the coming days if this is not done.