LPG prices hiked by Rs 50/ cylinder for both subsidised and non-subsidised customers

NEW DELHI: The government on Monday hiked the cooking gas price by a steep Rs 50 per cylinder alongside increasing the excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 2 per litre each.

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The increase in cooking gas price will be for the Ujjawala poor beneficiaries who got LPG connection free of cost and the general users, and will be effective from April 8, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said. Cooking gas for Ujjawala users will cost Rs 553 per 14. 2-kg cylinder from the current Rs 503 in the national capital. The same for general users will now cost Rs 853. The rates, which vary from state to state depending on local incidence of taxes, were last revised in March last year when they were cut by Rs 100.

The government also hiked excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 2 per litre each, but there will be no change in retail prices as the increase will be adjusted against the price cut that was warranted because of falling international oil prices. The special additional excise duty on petrol has been increased from Rs 11 per litre to Rs 13, and that on diesel from Rs 8 to Rs 10 a litre. With this, the total incidence of taxes imposed by the central government on petrol has increased to Rs 21. 9 a litre (Rs 1. 40 a litre basis excise duty, Rs 13 special additional excise duty, Rs 2. 50 agriculture cess and Rs 5 road and infrastructure cess) from Rs 19. 9 a litre.

On diesel, the total incidence has gone up from Rs 15. 80 per litre to Rs 17. 80 (Rs 1. 80 per litre basic excise duty, Rs 10 special additional excise duty, Rs 4 agriculture cess and Rs 2 road and infra cess).