Centre is burdening citizens with LPG price hike: Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar

Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday criticised the Union government over the steep hike in commercial LPG cylinder prices, accusing the Centre of economically burdening ordinary citizens and repeatedly shifting financial pressure onto the public.

Speaking to reporters at KPCC office, Shivakumar reacted to the latest revision, under which commercial gas prices rose by nearly Rs 991 in a single day, taking the cost of a 19-kg cylinder in the city to Rs 3,152.

“The Central government always puts the burden on the common man. Whether it is fuel, fertilizer or gas, their first instinct is to squeeze the middle and lower-income groups,” Shivakumar said.

He said that despite repeated claims of subsidies by the Centre, the reality on the ground for small business owners and hoteliers had become unsustainable.

Noting that this was the third major hike in as many months, Shivakumar said the repeated increases would have a cascading effect on the cost of living.

"It is not just about the cylinder, it affects the price of every meal in a hotel. Small eateries and roadside vendors are being pushed to the brink of closure," he added.

Mocking the Centre’s policies, he said the Union government appears to be giving people a “firewood blessing” by forcing them to abandon clean energy and return to traditional cooking methods because of rising costs.

His remarks come amid indications from the Bengaluru Hotel Association that menu prices may be raised by 10 per cent to offset the rising input costs.

Shivakumar also urged Union Ministers from Karnataka to break their silence and respond to what he described as a livelihood emergency caused by fluctuating fuel prices.