LPG prices hit Rs580/kg amid gas shortages

Daily demand exceeds 50 tonnes as residents turn to LPG; women protest prolonged gas outages

HYDERABAD:

Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) prices in Hyderabad have surged to Rs580 per kilogram amid persistent natural gas shortages, with consumers forced to pay nearly twice the official rate as rising demand and alleged profiteering fuel black marketing.

The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has fixed the price of domestic LPG at Rs279.34 per kilogram for the current month. However, retailers across the city are charging between Rs550 and Rs580 per kilogram, adding to the financial burden on households already struggling with prolonged gas outages.

The city's daily LPG demand has exceeded 50 tonnes as residents increasingly turn to the alternative fuel for cooking amid an unreliable supply from Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC). The situation has also triggered frequent arguments between consumers and shopkeepers over prices.

Abdul Qadir, general secretary of the LPG Union Association Hyderabad, alleged that OGRA-registered producers were supplying LPG to retailers at Rs520 per kilogram or higher, leaving shopkeepers to add transportation and other expenses to the final price.

"OGRA has fixed the price after including all applicable taxes, but producers themselves are supplying LPG at rates far above the notified price," Qadir told The Express Tribune.

He said the association had repeatedly lodged complaints with OGRA and registered LPG companies, but the prices remained unchanged. He added that the divisional commissioner and deputy commissioner of Hyderabad had also been informed, while meetings with representatives of LPG plants had been held to discuss the issue.

Qadir said five LPG plants operated in the wider Hyderabad-Jamshoro area, including three in Hyderabad, one in Jamshoro and one in Kotri. He maintained that a reduction in government taxes could help bring prices down.

Around 250 shops across Hyderabad district sell LPG, which is increasingly being used not only by households but also by rickshaws, Qingqi rickshaws, mini-taxis, Suzuki vehicles, hotels, restaurants and tea stalls. The rising cost of the fuel has also contributed to higher prices of food items, according to the report.

SSGC's gas supply schedule has further compounded the crisis. Domestic consumers receive gas for three hours at a time, three times a day, while low pressure and delays in the restoration of supply continue to disrupt household routines. Residents say that during the morning, evening and night supply windows, air often flows through pipelines for the first 15 to 20 minutes before gas becomes available.

Separately, women residents of Amani Shah Colony in Latifabad, Unit 11, staged a protest at Khuda Hafiz Board Chari against prolonged gas shortages, suspending traffic and chanting slogans against SSGC management.