Mumbai | Residents of the Mumbai metropolitan area have received a major shock of inflation. Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL) on Saturday increased CNG prices by Rs 2 per kilogram, taking its retail price to Rs 86 per kilogram. Along with this, piped natural gas (PNG) rates have also been increased by 50 paise per unit. This is the second increase in prices in May, causing great distress to the common people.
The increase in prices is attributed to instability in international energy markets and the ongoing military conflict in West Asia. Due to the disruption in the supply chain, imported gas has become expensive, which has also had a direct impact on petrol and diesel prices. However, the central government says that despite the global crisis, there will be no fuel shortage in the country, and state-owned oil companies are incurring heavy losses to provide relief to consumers.
Lakhs of vehicles in Mumbai depend on CNG, so this increase has made the operation of auto-rickshaws, taxis, and buses much more expensive. Taxi and auto-rickshaw unions have started demanding an increase in minimum fares. Meanwhile, the rise in PNG prices has disrupted the monthly kitchen budget of over 31 lakh families in the city, forcing the common man to bear a double economic blow.
