Congress takes jibe over fresh CNG price hike in Delhi

New Delhi: The Congress on Sunday took a swipe at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government CNG Prices were hiked again in Delhi and NCR region, marking the second hike in two days.Sharing a post on X, the Congress alleged that the Center has repeatedly burdened consumers with hikes in fuel prices right after the elections.(‘Mahangai Man’ model kabuk pher chalo, CNG prices are up again today.) CNG price hiked once again today as ‘Mahongai Man’ Modi taunts him again,” the party said.Highlighting the consecutive increase in CNG rates, the party pointed out that on May 15 it was hiked by Rs 2 per kg and by another Rs 1 per kg on May 17, alleging that consumers are suffering from higher fuel costs immediately after the elections.“So far, Modi has made CNG Rs 3 more expensive. The moment the elections are over, Modi’s cash hoarding has started,” it added.This comment was made after the price of CNG was increased by Tk 1 per kg on Sunday. With the latest revision, CNG price in Delhi will now be Rs 80.09 per kg.CNG price hiked by Rs 88.70 per kg in Noida and Ghaziabad.

This is the second extension in two days. Earlier on May 15, City Gas Distributors had hiked the price of CNG by Rs 2 per kg, pushing it to Rs 79.09 per kg from Rs 77.09 per kg in Delhi. Backward enhancements are expected to increase transport costs across the NCR region, especially for commuters who depend on CNG-powered autos, taxis and private vehicles.The latest CNG revision comes on the heels of a wide-ranging fuel price hike announced by state-run oil marketing agencies on Friday, while petrol and diesel prices were hiked by Rs 3 per liter across the country.Petrol price in Delhi is now Rs 97.77 per litre, up from Rs 94.77, while diesel price has increased to Rs 90.67 from Rs 87.67. The revised rates are effective from Friday.Despite the increase, industry sources said the increase accounted for a fraction of the real increase needed to fully offset the sharp rise in global energy prices since the West Asia conflict began.The rise in prices comes after global crude prices rose sharply amid tensions involving Iran, Israel and the United States, along with bottlenecks around the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil shipments. Crude prices, which were around $70 per barrel before the crash, rose to around $105 per barrel.The Centre, however, had earlier reiterated that there was no fuel supply shortage in the country and had no plans to ration petrol, diesel or LPG despite concerns over global supply disruptions.Meanwhile, oil industry executives have indicated that further fuel price hikes cannot be ruled out, although any future revisions will depend on government approvals and developments in the global energy situation.According to Crisil, state-run oil marketing companies are still facing losses of around Rs 10 per liter on petrol and Rs 13 per liter on diesel despite the recent hike.Fuel prices in India remained largely unchanged from April 2022 except for the Rs 2 per liter excise duty announced by the Center in March 2024 ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.Earlier on Saturday, Congress party workers also staged protests against rising prices of petrol, diesel and milk, with leaders arriving in bullock carts to highlight the growing burden of inflation on the common citizen.