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Roll back price hike
This refers to the news report ‘Crude falls but govt ups LPG price by ₹50, raises excise on fuels by ₹2/ litre for OMCs’ (April 8). The Centre hiked the price of domestic LPG by ₹50, including subsidised refills supplied to poor families under Ujjwala scheme. The common people are already facing the heat due to spurt in prices of pulses, edible oils, vegetables and others. The price increase of domestic LPG cylinders is yet another blow to them.
The government decreased the cooking gas price by ₹100 per cylinder in March 2024 ahead of the Lok Sabha elections to attract voters. The LPG price hike must be rolled back.
S Sankaranarayanan
Chennai
Apropos ‘Cooking gas price up by ₹50; excise duty of ₹2/litre for OMCs’ (April 8), it’s astonishing to see the government hiking excise duty on petrol, diesel and LPG amid when global crude prices are at their lowest since August 2021.
The Petroleum Minister had, on April 1, announced a reduction of ₹15 in the price of the commercial LPG cylinders, owing to favourable global conditions. So why this hike now, when the ground situation calls for a reduction?
The Minister must come out with a ‘White Paper’ on the status of the OMCs. How long will these OMCs continue to enjoy unstinted generosity while the common folk suffer?
SK Gupta
New Delhi
Starlink’s challenges
This letter refers to the article ‘Can Starlink be a game changer?’ Satellite broadband is an expensive product and not a direct substitute for fibre or mobile networks, so Starlink’s entry into the Indian market would be complementary to begin with.
Starlink should target underserved regions like remote villages and hilly terrains where Airtel and Jio’s presence is weak. But Starlink’s higher pricing can only pose a limited threat to Airtel and Jio’s broadband business. India being a highly price sensitive market Starlink would face a daunting challenge in the Indian market.
Bal Govind
Noida
Published on April 8, 2025
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