New Delhi: Taking a swipe at the BJP-led centre over the hike in the price of commercial cooking gas, the Congress today said that this is the government's "new year gift" to the people and that "this is just the beginning".
"The first gift of the new year, commercial cooking gas cylinder is now Rs 25 dearer. This is just the beginning," the Congress tweeted in Hindi.
Commercial consumers would now have to pay Rs 25 more for a 19-kg cooking gas cylinder. The rate for domestic consumers remains unchanged. A hike in the rate of commercial cooking gas cylinders would hit restaurants and the businesses may pass it on to consumers, making dining out or ordering in more expensive.
Following the price hike, a commercial cylinder of cooking gas will cost Rs 1,768 in Delhi, Rs 1,721 in Mumbai, Rs 1,870 in Kolkata and Rs 1,917 in Chennai.
Cooking gas prices in the country have been seen a surge in the past couple of years, hitting household budgets and sparking strong criticism from the Opposition.
For domestic consumers, the price has gone up from Rs 410 to over a Rs 1,000 since 2014, when the BJP government came to power. Coupled with a rapid surge in fuel prices, which pushed up rates of essentials, households have struggled to tackle the all-round impact on budgets.
The government has on several occasions pointed to the international rates of crude oil when questioned about the fuel price hike. The Opposition is now questioning why the rates have not been slashed now that the international rates have dropped.