Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, on Monday announced a ₹50 hike in cooking gas prices across the board, affecting both general and Ujjwala scheme beneficiaries.
Following the revision, the price of a 14.2-kg LPG cylinder for general customers has gone up from ₹803 to ₹853, while beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) will now pay ₹553 instead of ₹503.
“This is a step which we will review as we go along,” Puri said, adding that LPG prices are reviewed every two to three weeks based on various economic factors.
The minister also addressed concerns over fuel prices after the Union government increased the excise duty on petrol and diesel by ₹2 per litre. According to a government notification, the revised rates — ₹13 per litre for petrol and ₹10 per litre for diesel — will come into effect from April 8, 2025.
However, Puri clarified that the hike in excise duty will not affect retail fuel prices. “Let me clarify upfront on the record — this will not be passed on to the consumer,” he stated.
He explained that oil marketing companies (OMCs) still operate under a deregulated system and carry an average crude oil inventory priced at $75 per barrel, despite international crude prices falling to around $60 per barrel recently.
“You can legitimately expect prices of petrol and diesel to be moderated by the oil marketing companies in keeping with the global price,” Puri added.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas also issued a statement on X (formerly Twitter), confirming that the Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) oil companies would not increase petrol and diesel retail prices following the duty hike.
The dual announcements come amid fluctuating global oil prices and ongoing efforts to balance subsidy burdens and inflation control ahead of the upcoming fiscal year.
Sources By Agencies