Residents Decry Frequent Raises In LPG Prices, Call For Necessary Measures

Authorities concerned have been urged to take pragmatic measures for maintaining prices of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) at affordable level to extend relief to inhabitants living in remote areas

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Jul, 2021 ) :Authorities concerned have been urged to take pragmatic measures for maintaining prices of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) at affordable level to extend relief to inhabitants living in remote areas.

"We are using LPG with immense inconvenience in wake of inflated prices of the commodity which is mainly used by poor people while its market's affairs are managed by unethical business elements and recent unjustified hike is a testament to this fact," Naqibullah, a school teacher lamented.

He said that he was living in a rented house and all his savings and monthly salary drained on account of various utility bills and other household expenditures, adding one really went ballistic to see prices of LPG prices going up. Some measures need to be taken in this regard, he added.

He was of the view that price of edibles had gone up manifold and steep increase in prices of this particular commodity had added to woes further for people of rural areas where inhabitants were compelled to use firewood or LPG for cooking purposes.

Another resident, Mukhtiayar said that high rates of LPG also led to deforestation especially in hilly areas where people were heavily dependent either on LPG or firewood, adding such moves on the part of LPG sector also provided an opportunity to timber mafia and opportunists to exploit the situation in their favour.

LPG marketing companies in a recent deceitful move effected Rs 50 increase in price of domestic and Rs200 in commercial cylinder which was currently sold at Rs2050 and Rs7915 respectively.

Chairman LPG distributor association Irfan Khokhar said that LPG was the main source of fuel in far-flung areas and such unbridled increase in its prices would add to woes for people. He called for effective measures for increasing its production of LPG to overcome the yawning gap between demand and supply of the commodity in the country.

He also called for action to be taken against those elements involved in the business of substandard cylinders which put people's lives at risk. He was of the view that ban should be imposed on factories involved in manufacturing of substandard cylinders, adding most of such factories were operating in Gujranwala.

He said that OGRA was supposed to handle such affairs and added the LPG association would continue extending its support to help augment the role of the regulator and ensure transparency in the market.

He said that the association was effectively working on resolving issues of the LPG sector in order to extend relief to common man and had submitted public petitions for abolition of various taxes on the commodity imported via land routes, lifting of ban on use of LPG in Autos and Installation of LPG dispensers at all closed CNG and petrol stations.