Ranchi: The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has strongly condemned the steep hike in prices of commercial LPG cylinders and 5-kg cylinders, stating that the increase will aggravate inflation and severely impact small businesses.
According to the Polit Bureau, the unprecedented rise of nearly ₹1,000 in commercial cylinder prices will have a widespread effect. Hotels, eateries, and other commercial establishments will be compelled to pass on the additional burden to consumers, thereby pushing up prices further. This may force many small businesses to shut down, leading to layoffs and large-scale job losses.
The statement noted that while 14-kg domestic cylinders have been spared for now, the price of non-subsidised 5-kg cylinders has been increased by ₹261. This hike is expected to hit small families and migrant workers the hardest, as they rely on smaller cylinders due to financial constraints.
The party further pointed out that the prices of essential commodities are already on the rise, and the latest LPG hike will worsen the situation for common people. It also claimed that rising costs and shortage of cylinders have already forced thousands of migrant workers to leave cities and towns and return to their villages, and this trend may intensify further.
Alleging that this is the second major hike in commercial cylinder prices in the past two months, the CPI(M) accused the central government of being unwilling to reduce taxes on LPG, which could have provided relief to the public.
The Polit Bureau has demanded an immediate rollback of the LPG price hike and has called upon its units across the country to organise protest demonstrations against the increase.
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