Commercial LPG prices rise by Rs 62.50; aviation fuel up Rs 16 per litre

• Commercial LPG prices rise by Rs 62.50 per 19-kg cylinder from 1 October

• Aviation turbine fuel increases by Rs 16 per litre to Rs 137 per litre for domestic airlines

• Domestic LPG, petrol and diesel prices remain unchanged

State-owned oil marketing companies raised commercial LPG and aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices on Thursday, reflecting firmer international energy benchmarks. Domestic cooking gas, petrol and diesel rates were left unchanged.

The price of a 19-kg commercial LPG cylinder increased by Rs 62.50, following a Rs 9.50 rise in September. The two successive increases come after reductions of Rs 192 in August and Rs 183.50 in July.

ATF prices for domestic airlines rose by Rs 16 per litre, from Rs 121 to Rs 137. The latest increase follows a Rs 6.28-per-litre rise, or 5.46 per cent, in September and a Rs 5-per-litre increase in August.

In his reaction to the commercial LPG price hike, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the Modi government’s publicity campaign had drowned out the concerns of ordinary people struggling with inflation.

He criticised the government for adding to household pressures during the festive season, saying commercial cylinder prices had risen by Rs 62.50–Rs 71.50 from today. Kharge claimed that prices had increased by nearly Rs 1,270 over the past nine months, amounting to an average monthly burden of about Rs 141.

The higher aviation fuel bill adds to pressure on airline operating costs. ATF can account for up to 40 per cent of a carrier’s operating expenditure, making fluctuations in its price a significant factor in airline finances.

Commercial LPG rates had reached a record high in June as disruptions to global energy supplies pushed international prices higher. Between February and June, the price of a 19-kg cylinder climbed by Rs 1,373, from Rs 1,740.50 to Rs 3,113.50, before easing in July and August.

Domestic LPG prices remain at Rs 942 per cylinder. These rates had increased by Rs 89 between March and June amid supply disruptions linked to the West Asia crisis and rising global energy prices.

Oil marketing companies revise ATF and LPG prices on the first day of each month, taking international benchmark prices and the rupee-dollar exchange rate into account. Retail rates can differ across states because of local taxes, including VAT.

Petrol and diesel prices, which were raised in May, were also unchanged in the latest revision.

With IANS inputs