Consumers forced to pay Rs146/kg extra amid rising demand
An employee checks empty LPG cylinders inside the Vidyarthi Bhavan restaurant as restaurants and hotels in southern India, including the IT hub of Bengaluru, have warned of shutdowns due to disruptions in commercial LPG supply following the US-Israel conflict with Iran in Bengaluru, India, March 10, 2026. Photo: Reuters
LAHORE:
Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices have risen well beyond the officially notified rate, with the commodity selling at over Rs 450.
Across several localities in Lahore, LPG is being sold between Rs450 and Rs470 per kg, forcing consumers to pay up to Rs146 per kg above the official rate.
The LPG Distributors Association estimates that more than 6,000 tonnes of LPG are sold daily in the country, amplifying the scale of profiteering.
But retailers claim that they are not responsible for the price hike and claim that LPG marketing companies are supplying the commodity at inflated prices.
A shopkeeper said he had bought LPG at Rs 443 per litre. kg and questioned how it could be sold at Rs 304, alleging that the authorities routinely target small suppliers while failing to act against larger players who allegedly profit “with both hands”.
Meanwhile, the impact is felt most acutely by ordinary citizens who are already struggling with rising inflation.
Rickshaw driver Usman Kashif said even basic survival had become difficult as dwindling ridership and low fares make it difficult to secure even a single meal a day.
