NON SUBSIDISED LPG HIKED BY Rs. 220

The price of non-subsidised cooking gas (LPG), which customers buy after consuming their quota of subsidised cylinders, was hiked by a steep Rs 220 per bottle today on firming international rates. The 14.2-kg cooking gas cylinder that consumers buy beyond their entitled nine bottles at subsidised rates, will now cost Rs 1,241, up from Rs 1,021 in Delhi, state-owned fuel retailers said. This is the third increase in non-subsidised LPG rates in the past month. The price was hiked by Rs 63 a cylinder to Rs 1,017.50 on December 1. It was increased by a further Rs 3.50 to Rs 1,021 on December 11, when the government raised the commission for LPG dealers and distributors. The government had in September 2012 capped the supply of subsidised domestic LPG cylinders to six per household in a year. The quota was raised to nine bottles per household in a year in January 2013. Any requirement above this limit has to be purchased at market rates. There is no restriction on the number of non-subsidised cylinders that a consumer can buy. State-owned oil companies revise rates of non-subsidised LPG on the 1st of every month, based on the average imported cost and rupee-US dollar rate during the previous month. A subsidised, 14.2-kg cylinder of LPG costs Rs 414 in Delhi. Officials said state-owned oil firms currently lose Rs 762.70 per cylinder on the sale of subsidised LPG. Non-subsidised LPG rates in Mumbai have been increased to Rs 1,264.50 per cylinder from Rs 1,038. International LPG rates have firmed up due to increased winter heating demand, they said.