BUSINESS
Good news! LPG cylinders have become cheaper; where are they available and for how much? Find out
In the scorching heat of April and May, people used to have to wait in line for hours outside gas agencies, but now LPG cylinders are readily available. In the early days of the conflict in Iran, commercial cylinders were very scarce. During the war, the government reduced the supply of cylinders, driving up the price of cylinders. Even cylinders were unavailable in rural areas. However, now the price of cylinders in rural areas has dropped significantly.
Cylinders are available at prices ranging from 200 to 600 rupees less. Today, September 22nd, there has been no change in cylinder prices from Delhi to Patna and Mumbai to Yavatmal. In Delhi, the price of a domestic cylinder remains at 942 rupees, and the price of a 19-kg commercial LPG cylinder remains at 2,747.50 rupees. Many people may have been surprised by the reduction in cylinder prices. This may have raised eyebrows. But prices have come down.
In Kushinagar district, Uttar Pradesh, 19-kilogram commercial cylinders are now "dead stock" for gas agencies in rural areas or smaller towns. Currently, a 19-kilogram LPG cylinder in Kushinagar costs ₹2,946, while a 14.2-kilogram domestic cylinder costs ₹1,014. While domestic cylinder prices are non-negotiable, commercial cylinders can be found between ₹2,400 and ₹2,700.
Why do agency drivers sell below the agreed rate?
An agency driver, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that a vehicle carrying gas cylinders typically carries five commercial cylinders. The vehicle returns with an equal number of empty cylinders for each full cylinder delivered. If the five empty cylinders, weighing 19 kilograms, aren't returned, the truck won't return, disrupting supplies.
Since 19-kilogram commercial cylinders are rarely used in rural areas, small shopkeepers often rely on domestic cylinders. Consequently, 19-kilogram cylinders are made available to them at discounted rates of ₹200 to ₹600 to ensure an uninterrupted supply chain.
PC: News18 hindi
