PANJIM: The price of a 14.2-kg domestic LPG cylinder was hiked by Rs 50 from Wednesday. Also, the price of a 5-kg domestic cylinder was increased by Rs 18, while the price of a 19-kg commercial cylinder was reduced by Rs 8.50.
In Goa, a domestic cylinder will now cost Rs 1067 whereas the price of a commercial cylinder will cost Rs 2391.5.
Sameer Sancoalkar said that Rs 50 increase in LPG cylinders is a big blow to the ordinary man. Prices of all essential commodities such as fuel and vegetables are already skyrocketing. He pointed out that the industries are not functioning well and hence people are not even getting regular salaries.
“Many are not even employed”, he said and demanded that the Government of India should control the prices or else it will break the backbone of the common man for whom life is already becoming difficult.
Another citizen Umesh Bhavchikar said the prices of cylinders going up has put a lot of pressure on the common man. A hike in domestic LPG cylinders by Rs 50 is a big blow and it will be very difficult to survive. He said, “Now we may have to go for firewood and traditional style of cooking.”
Rupa Dessai, a housewife was very much worried as the price of the LPG cylinder had crossed the Rs 1000 mark. “How will the daily wage workers survive?” she asked.
“The situation is only getting worse day by day and it is becoming difficult for the middle class to survive. All are badly hit due to soaring prices of essential commodities”, she said.
Meanwhile, the opposition Congress and the Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) and people slammed the Union government for hiking the price of domestic LPG cylinders when the common man was reeling under inflation.
Expressing her anguish, TMC coordinator Avita Bandodkar said that before the elections, the BJP government promised that they wouldn’t increase VAT on diesel and petrol and later on increased the VAT to 21% for diesel and 26% for petrol. Similarly, the government promised to give three free LPG cylinders to every Goan household but after the elections limited to BPL families. Yet the government has failed to provide free cylinders to eligible families.
