Ahmedabad: Adani Total Gas, which distributes natural gas in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, and other cities, has increased gas prices once again, prompting rickshaw drivers to threaten a stir demanding a rollback.
The Adani group’s city gas distribution company revised CNG prices to Rs. 61.49 per kilo from October 11 from the earlier price of Rs. 59.86. This is the third price revision in October as CNG was revised from Rs. 56.30 per kilo to Rs. 58.86 on October 2, putting additional burden on lakhs of vehicle owners.
The steep hikes in CNG prices have led rickshaw drivers to threaten a stir.
“We have sought time from chief minister Bhupendra Patel and will make a representation to him demanding rollback of the CNG price hikes. This is the third hike in ten days and the fifth in two months, which is putting an unprecedented burden on rickshaw drivers,” said Ashok Punjabi, chairman of Gujarat Autorickshaw Drivers Action Committee.
The rickshaw drivers plan to stage sit-in protests, hunger strikes, and marches before calling for a state-wide strike.
Adani Total Gas has also effected another hike in residential piped natural gas prices. From Rs. 991.20 per million metric British thermal unit (MMBTU), the price has been hiked to Rs. 1061.20 per MMBTU for consumption up to 1.60 MMBTU. For higher consumption, the price has been revised to Rs. 1273.44 per MMBTU from Rs. 1189.44 per MMBTU. The PNG price is up by more than 30% since August, of which more than half has been in October.
“CGD companies have increased CNG and PNG prices due to the rise in natural gas prices, and the weakening of the rupee against the US dollar,” said an official of a city gas distribution company.
The central government revised the price of domestically produced natural gas from $1.79 per MMBTU to $2.90 per MMBTU for October 2021 to March 2022.