LPG hike: Home cooking and eating out expected to cost more

LPG price hike impacts cooking and dining costs in Bengaluru, straining families and sparking protests against the government's decision.

With the Union government on Saturday increasing the price of non-subsidised domestic LPG by ₹60 per cylinder and of commercial LPG by ₹130 per cylinder, following the conflict in West Asia affecting the prices of petroleum products, the prices in Bengaluru will go up to ₹915.50 (14.2 kg) and ₹1,981 (19 kg), respectively.

Earlier, the price of a domestic LPG per cylinder was ₹855.50, and commercial cylinders cost ₹1,866.50 in the city.

The steep hike is feared to affect both the domestic economy and the cost of eating out.

“For a middle-class family like ours, every rupee counts. The cost of milk, cooking oil, and other ingredients has already increased. Now, even basic cooking is becoming expensive,” said Bhanupriya, a homemaker from Basavanagudi.

Daily wage earners and lower-income groups are feeling the pinch more acutely. “The cost of living in Bengaluru is rising sharply. House rent and school fees for children are high. Now, this hike in LPG cylinder prices by the Union government will impact us significantly,” said Dilip Kumar, an autorickshaw driver, who urged the government to ease the burden on the poor. He added that the cost of auto LPG is also up, adding to their burden.

The Bangalore Hotels Association has stated that the Union government could have waited for a few more days instead of immediately increasing the price of LPG.