Last Updated on March 14, 2026 8:40 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
Staff Reporter / New Delhi
The Communist Party of India (CPI) on Saturday strongly criticised the recent hike in LPG prices and alleged supply shortages, saying the situation is causing serious hardship for millions of households and small businesses across the country.
In a statement issued by its National Secretariat, the party said the price of domestic LPG cylinders has been increased by ₹60 while commercial cylinders have become costlier by ₹115. According to the CPI, irregular supply in several areas has forced people to stand in long queues to secure cooking gas.
The party said LPG remains a basic necessity for working families and warned that rising costs are also affecting small eateries, tea stalls, dhabas and restaurants that depend on commercial cylinders. Higher fuel costs and supply disruptions, the CPI said, are threatening the livelihoods of workers and small business owners.
Criticising the policies of the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the CPI alleged that poor planning and misplaced priorities have contributed to the present situation. The party said that when global crude prices were relatively low and India was importing discounted oil from countries such as Russia and Iran, the benefits were not adequately passed on to consumers.
Highlighting its criticism of the government, the CPI said Prime Minister Modi’s speeches cannot substitute real relief for citizens.
“His speeches and rhetoric cannot become the fuel in the kitchens of India’s working people,” the party said in the statement.
The CPI also alleged that subsidies on domestic LPG cylinders have been gradually reduced over the past decade, increasing the financial burden on ordinary households.
Calling the price hike unjustified, the party urged its cadres and affiliated organisations to organise protests and awareness campaigns to highlight the issue and demand relief measures for consumers.