New Delhi, April 7: Starting Tuesday, the price of LPG cylinders, both Ujjwala and non-Ujjwala, will rise by Rs 50, as announced by Minister Hardeep Puri at a press conference on Monday.
The price for LPG cylinders under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) will increase from Rs 500 to Rs 550, while for others, the price will go up from Rs 803 to Rs 853, the minister confirmed.
"This adjustment will be reviewed periodically, every 2-3 weeks," Puri added.
The minister also addressed the recent imposition of additional excise duties on petrol and diesel, clarifying that these measures aim to offset the losses incurred by oil marketing companies (OMCs). "The Finance Ministry has introduced a Rs 2 excise duty, but it will not be passed on to consumers. The revenue generated will go into the general fund and be used to reimburse the OMCs for their LPG losses," he explained.
According to a notification from the Department of Revenue, the central government will increase excise duties on diesel and petrol by Rs 2 per litre, effective Tuesday. The excise duty on petrol, which is currently Rs 19.90 per litre, will rise to Rs 21.90 per litre, while the excise duty on diesel will increase from Rs 15.80 per litre to Rs 17.80 per litre.
Despite these changes, oil marketing companies have assured the Petroleum Ministry that the retail prices of petrol and diesel will remain unchanged. This is due to a recent drop in crude oil prices, from over USD 70 per barrel to USD 63 per barrel on Monday, which has boosted the margins for OMCs. This decline in oil prices could have influenced the government's decision to raise the excise duties on petrol and diesel.
