KOLKATA: Accusing the Centre of not doing anything to control price rise of fuel and other essential commodities, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday insisted that a policy should be made to arrest the hike.
She claimed that the economic situation in the country was going from bad to worse, and expressed apprehension that states might not be able disburse salaries to employees in the days to come.
Banerjee also urged the Union government to pay states their GST dues.
The CM, continuing her tirade against the Centre, said that the BJP-led government should find ways to rein in prices instead of using the CBI and ED to harass politicians.
Her comments come on a day when CNG prices in the national capital on Thursday were hiked by Rs 2.50 per kilogram - the 10th increase in rates in the last one month.
CNG in the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi now costs Rs 69.11 per kg, up from Rs 66.61 per kg, according to the information posted on the website of Indraprastha Gas Ltd (IGL) - the firm which retails CNG and piped cooking gas in the national capital and adjoining cities.
This is the second straight day of increase in price by Rs 2.50 per litre and the 10th since March 7.
In all, the CNG price has risen by Rs 13.1 per kg in the last one month.
In the last one year, prices have increased by Rs 25.71 per kg or 60 per cent, according to data compiled by PTI.
However, there was no change in the rates of Piped Cooking Gas (PNG) on Thursday.
It continues to cost Rs 41.61 per standard cubic meter.
City gas distributors have been periodically raising prices since October last year when domestic as well as international gas prices started to climb as economies worldover recovered from the pandemic-induced slowdown.
Prices rose by Rs 8.74 per kg in the last three months of 2021, and from January there was a steady increase of about 50 paise a kg almost every week.
The rates have gone up after the government more than doubled the price of natural gas to USD 6.1 per million British thermal unit from April 1.
Natural gas when compressed becomes CNG for use as fuel in automobiles.
The same gas is also piped to household kitchens and industries for cooking and other purposes.
On Thursday, Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL) raised Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) price by Rs 7 per kg to Rs 67 per kg in Mumbai, while Gujarat Gas hiked rates by Rs 6.50 per kg to Rs 76.98 per kg.
Prices vary from city to city depending on the incidence of local taxes such as VAT.
The increase in CNG prices follows Rs 10 per litre hike in petrol and diesel prices in 16 days and a Rs 50 per cylinder raise in the cooking gas LPG rates.
A record 137-day hiatus in petrol and diesel price revision ended on March 22.
On the same day, the price of a 14.2-kg LPG cylinder was increased to Rs 949.50 in the national capital.
In some places, the LPG price has touched Rs 1,000.
According to IGL, CNG will now cost Rs 71.67 per kg in Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad and Rs 77.44 per kg in Gurugram, the cities adjoining Delhi.