Centre urged to reduce cooking gas price

Bhopal, Apr 10 (UNI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has urged the Centre to reduce the price of cooking gas by restoring the issue price that prevailed before March end.

In a letter to Petroleum Minister Murali Deora yesterday, Mr Chouhan said the consumers in Madhya Pradesh had to pay Rs 328.95 per cylinder from April 8 as compared to Rs 304.80 earlier.

Claiming that the price rise was caused with the oil companies raising the basic issue price from Rs 250.64 to Rs 273.65 from April 8, he said the consumers had to pay a higher price despite the state government reducing the tax burden from 14.8 per cent to 13.5 per cent with the implementation of Value Added Tax from April 1. The tax amount had, however, registered marginal increase of 54 paise from Rs 37.44 per cyclinder to Rs 37.98.

The distributors' commission also rose from Rs 16.72 to Rs 17.32 per cylinder.

Mr Chouhan held that increase in cooking gas price was due to raising the basic issue price by the oil companies and urged the centre to restore the price-level that prevailed on March 31, 2006 in order to give relief to the consumers.

UNI SP SI RS1541