Even as petrol and diesel prices in the country shoot up and decline in tune international crude prices, Indian consumers may take some solace from comparisons of prices of cooking gas and kerosene in India with its neighbours. Prices in the country for these two cooking fuels is still the cheapest in the subcontinent, according to data compiled by Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC).
India has a total of 22.43 crore active liquefied natural gas (LPG) customers in the domestic category, according to government data, of which more than 18.11 crore, or greater than 80%, avail the subsidy. The LPG coverage of the country estimated on the basis of active domestic connections and estimated households as on April 1 is about 80.9%.
Consumers in India paid ₹493.55 for an LPG cylinder weighing 14.2 kg, averaging ₹34.76 per kg for a subsidised cylinder and ₹671 or ₹47.25 for a non-subsidised cylinder as on June 1.
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Comparatively, consumers in Pakistan pay ₹1039.52 for a domestic LPG cylinder weighing 11.8 kg or ₹88.95 per kg, making it the highest in the Indian subcontinent.
Users in Sri Lanka and Nepal pay ₹815.30 and ₹867.11 for 12.5-kg and 14.2-kg cylinders, respectively. This translates to a price of ₹65.22 per kg in Sri Lanka and ₹61.06 per kg in Nepal.
Consumers in Bangladesh pay ₹643.79 for 12.5 kg LPG cylinders, translating to price of ₹51.5 per kg.
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Indians began paying ₹25.03 per litre for kerosene from June 1. Comparatively, consumers in Pakistan pay ₹46.78 per litre, while those in Bangladesh pay ₹52.62 per litre. Consumers in Sri Lanka have to pay ₹43.25 per litre of kerosene and Nepal charges ₹58.02 per litre.
Even as Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan vows to keep petrol and diesel prices within the reach of the common man, they are still the highest in the subcontinent, after about a fortnight of price reductions.
Buyers shell out ₹ 7 6.43 in New Delhi) for a litre of petrol as on June 8, which is almost 53% more than the ₹49.9 paid by consumers in Pakistan, 30% more than the ₹58.67 charged in Sri Lanka and about 10% more the ₹69.37 and ₹69.63 paid by consumers in Nepal and Bangladesh, respectively.
Prices in other metros like Mumbai (₹84.26), Kolkata (₹79.10) and Chennai (₹79.33) are even more due to higher State levies.
Similarly, Indians pay ₹67.85 (New Delhi) for a litre of diesel, more than 45% higher, compared with the ₹46.68 paid by consumers in Sri Lanka, 29% more than the ₹52.62 per litre charged in Bangladesh and over 14% compared with ₹58.02 and ₹57.84 per litre paid by consumers in Nepal and Pakistan respectively.