Consumers forced to pay Rs146/kg extra amid soaring demand
An employee checks empty LPG cylinders inside Vidyarthi Bhavan restaurant, as restaurants and hotels in southern India, including the IT hub of Bengaluru, have warned of shutdowns amid disruptions in commercial LPG supply, following the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Bengaluru, India, March 10, 2026. Photo: Reuters
LAHORE:
Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices have surged far beyond the officially notified rate, with the commodity selling at over Rs450 per kilogram across Lahore and other parts of the country, despite the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) fixing its price at Rs304.28 per kg.
Across multiple 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 metric tonnes of LPG are sold daily in the country, amplifying the scale of profiteering.
However, retailers argue they are not responsible for the price surge, claiming that LPG marketing companies are supplying the commodity at inflated rates.
One shopkeeper said he had purchased LPG at Rs443 per kg, questioning how it could be sold at Rs304, and alleged that authorities routinely target small vendors while failing to act against larger players allegedly profiteering “with both hands”.
Meanwhile, the impact is being felt most acutely by ordinary citizens already struggling with rising inflation.
Rickshaw driver Usman Kashif said even basic survival had become difficult as dwindling passenger numbers and low fares make it hard to secure even a single meal a day.
