Hours after the central government’s announcement of bringing down the price of petrol and diesel by Rs 5 and Rs 10 respectively, the Goa government reportedly decided to bring the rate of petrol and diesel by Rs 7 each. With both the Central and State governments lowering the excise duty, the price of petrol will be reduced by Rs 12 per litre and diesel by Rs 17 per litre in Goa. This is a welcome step by both the Central and the State governments. But it must be said that what affects the poor the most is the price of the LPG cylinder. Not all people living ‘Below Poverty Line’ (BPL) own a vehicle. Hence, the price of cooking gas is of more importance to the poor than the price of petrol and diesel. As of today the price of the LPG cylinder is Rs 913.50. The price of the commercial 19 kg LPG cylinder in Goa is Rs 1,779. In Delhi, the price of the commercial LPG cylinder has crossed the Rs 2,000 mark. This will obviously force the hoteliers to increase the price of food items. Hence it would be in the fitness of things for the government to reduce the price of LPG cylinders along with the reduction of the price of petrol and diesel since the high price of LPG affects the poor the most.
