Consumers are forced to pay Rs 146/kg more in the face of growing demand
An employee checks empty LPG cylinders inside the Vidyarthi Bhavan restaurant, as restaurants and hotels across southern India, including IT hub Bangalore, warned of closures due to disruptions in commercial LPG supplies, following the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Bangalore, India, March 10, 2026. Photo: Reuters
LAHORE:
Prices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) have soared well beyond the officially notified rate, with the product selling at over Rs 450 per kilogram in Lahore and other parts of the country, although the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has fixed its price at Rs 304.28 per kg.
In several localities in Lahore, LPG is sold between Rs 450 and 470 per kg, forcing consumers to pay up to Rs 146 per kg more than the official rate.
The LPG Distributors Association estimates that more than 6,000 tonnes of LPG are sold daily in the country, thereby amplifying the scale of profits.
However, retailers say they are not responsible for the price hike, saying LPG marketing companies are supplying the product at inflated rates.
A trader said he bought LPG at Rs 443 per kg, wondering how it could be sold at Rs 304, and alleged that authorities regularly target small sellers without taking action against big players who allegedly profit “with both hands”.
At the same time, the impact is being felt most acutely among ordinary citizens, already struggling with rising inflation.
Usman Kashif, a rickshaw driver, said even basic survival had become difficult as dwindling passenger numbers and low fares made it difficult to secure even a single meal a day.
