Kerala CM slams Centre over LPG price hike

T'puram: Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has demanded the Union govt to withdraw the increase in the price of cooking gas. In a statement, Vijayan said that the tendency to impose additional burdens on people solely for the profit of oil companies is unacceptable. "The central policy that protects corporate interests needs to be revised," the chief minister said. The most severe price hike in the history of cooking gas is critically affecting people's lives, he added. "The price of an LPG cylinder for commercial use has been increased by approximately Rs 993, bringing it to over Rs 3,000, a move that devastates the hotel and restaurant sector," Vijayan said. He added that the price of a 5kg LPG cylinder, relied upon by migrant workers and small families, has been increased by Rs 251.5. This increase, which plunges ordinary people, small entrepreneurs, and guest workers into a severe crisis, came immediately after the legislative assembly elections in states, Vijayan said. "Due to the Middle East crisis, the hotel industry, which has been facing a cooking gas shortage for months, cannot bear this unjust price hike. Ultimately, the burden falls on ordinary people. Many small businesses, including those in Kerala, are facing closure," he added.