New Delhi, April 13 -- Earlier this month, the government increased the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by Rs.50 per 14.2 kg cylinder. The hike, which comes roughly after a year, will see the price of an LPG cylinder across metros now range from Rs.853 in Delhi to Rs.879 in Kolkata. Underpinning this hike is evolving demand-supply dynamics.

The expansion in its coverage and usage as a cooking fuel has made LPG politically sensitive to a greater degree than before, even as domestic infrastructure to support such consumption has not kept pace.

Data from both the government and oil companies shows a sharp increase in active LPG connections. Even as of 2019-20, according to the last National Family Health Survey (NFHS) by the governm...