Shimla, Mar 2 (PTI) Congress ministers in Himachal Pradesh on Thursday targeted the BJP government at the Centre for increasing the prices of domestic and commercial LPG cylinders by Rs 50 and Rs 350 respectively, saying it has put extra burden on the pocket of the people.

In a statement issued here, Cabinet ministers Jagat Singh Negi and Rohit Thakur and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Ram Kumar Chaudhary said women in the rural belts of the state were the primary sufferers of the price hike as they have been pushed back to smoky chulhas.

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The central government has brought back an era of traditional stoves emitting toxic fumes as a gift to the women folk of the country this Holi, the statement said.

The ministers alleged that the Centre was “siding” with big business houses and benefiting them.

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They said a domestic gas cylinder which was available for Rs 410 in 2014 during the UPA regime will now cost more than Rs 1,200 on home delivery, while commercial gas cylinders will now be available to shops and business establishments for around Rs 2,300, which will increase the rates of food in local restaurants, dhaba and hotels.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)