Thrissur, 01 May (H.S):Union Minister Suresh Gopi has defended the recent steep hike in cooking gas prices, urging critics to view the increase in a global context. Speaking to reporters, he said that fuel prices have risen worldwide and questioned whether India had not managed to contain the impact comparatively. “Look around the world and see how much prices have increased elsewhere. Haven’t we held it to this level?” he remarked, while also referring to the historically volatile pricing of commercial cylinders.

The minister, however, refrained from giving a clear response when asked whether petrol and diesel prices would also see a hike in the near future.

The remarks come in the wake of a significant increase in the price of commercial LPG cylinders by oil marketing companies shortly after the conclusion of Assembly elections in five states. The price of the 19-kg commercial LPG cylinder has been raised by ₹993 in a single revision—an unusually sharp jump.

With the latest hike, the price of a commercial cylinder has crossed the ₹3,000 mark in Kerala. In Kochi, the new price stands at ₹3,085, while it is ₹3,106 in Thiruvananthapuram and ₹3,117.50 in Kozhikode.

Industry stakeholders have expressed concern over the impact of the hike, particularly on small businesses such as hotels, restaurants, and street-side eateries, which rely heavily on commercial LPG. The sharp increase in operational costs is expected to push up food prices, placing an additional burden on consumers.

Meanwhile, there has been no change in the price of domestic LPG cylinders, offering some relief to household consumers for now.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman