Youth Congress workers protested against the Union government in Bengaluru on Saturday over the rising price of LPG cylinders. | Photo credit: MURALI KUMAR K.
As the Union government on Saturday hiked the price of non-subsidized domestic LPG by ₹60 per cylinder and commercial LPG by ₹130 per cylinder, prices in Bengaluru will rise to ₹915.50 (14.2 kg) and ₹19.98 per kg (19.98 kg) respectively, following the conflict in West Asia that affected the prices of petroleum products.
Earlier, the price of domestic LPG per cylinder was ₹855.50 and commercial cylinders cost ₹1,866.50 in the city.
He fears that the steep hike will affect both the domestic economy and the cost of meals.
Burden on families
“For a middle-class family like ours, every rupee counts. The cost of milk, cooking oil and other ingredients have already gone up. Now even basic cooking is more expensive,” said Bhanupriya, a homemaker from Basavanagudi.
Daily wage earners and lower income groups feel the pinch more acutely. “The cost of living in Bengaluru is skyrocketing. House rent and children’s school fees are high. Now this hike in LPG cylinder prices by the Union government will affect us greatly,” said Dilip Kumar, an autorickshaw driver who urged the government to ease the burden on the poor. He added that the cost of an LPG car is also increasing, adding to their burden.
‘could have waited’
The Bangalore Hotel Association said the Union government could have waited for a few more days instead of increasing LPG price immediately.
Speaking to The Hindu, PC Rao, president of Bangalore Hotels Association, said, “Earlier, the Union government was providing a rebate of ₹120 to ₹150 on the maximum retail price (MRP) for bulk buyers of commercial LPG cylinders. However, this rebate has been stopped from March 1 this year. On Saturday, the price of commercial LPG went up by ₹3 to ₹280 in a week.”
He argued that instead of raising the price immediately, the Union government could have waited a few more days.
Wait and watch
Further, Mr. Rao said that the price of cooking oil, coffee and other commodities had already been increased due to the war in West Asia.
“Furthermore, the state government has recently increased the electricity tariff. And the waste collection tax has been fixed at ₹ 12 per kg. Therefore, the price of food and refreshments in hotels and restaurants will inevitably increase. It is a big burden on us. But we will not impose this price burden on our customers immediately. We will wait and observe for a week,” he said, however, in the inevitable circumstances of the meeting with the association.
Protest against the hike
On Saturday, Congress workers protested the hike with placards and empty gas cylinders. In an interview with X, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly surrendered India’s strategic autonomy by blindly aligning with the United States and disrupting India’s long-standing energy partnerships with nations like Russia and Iran, partners who have historically ensured energy stability for our people.
Published – March 7, 2026 10:08 PM IST
