Bhubaneswar, Mar 2 (IANS): Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Thursday slammed the BJP-led Centre over the hike in the price of the LPG domestic cylinders.

Speaking to media persons here, senior BJD legislator Soumya Ranjan Patnaik said the Central government has hiked the domestic LPG price by Rs 50 per 14.2 kg cylinder.

"For the greater interest of the country and the people of Odisha, we have been supporting the Centre's decisions on merit-basis. At the same time, we are not going to put down issues like LPG price hike, which cannot be accepted," he said.

The rapid hike of LPG cooking gas prices has brought tears not only to the eyes of the mothers and sisters of Odisha, but today the kitchen in households of Odisha is also in tears, bringing them great pain and hardship, Patnaik said.

The price of one domestic LPG cylinder (14.2 kg cylinder) in March 2014 was Rs 410 which has now become Rs 1,103 as on March 1, 2023. The price of one LPG cylinder has been increased by almost 3 times in the past 9 years by the Centre, the BJD leader pointed out.

While rising prices of essential commodities, fuel and inflation are causing great pain to the 4.5 crore people of Odisha, the Centre does not seem serious about reducing the price of LPG cooking gas, Patnaik stated.

Reacting to Patnaik's statement, BJP chief whip in Odisha assembly, Mohan Majhi, said the LPG price hike depends on crude oil price in the international market. The recent price hike is a reflection of the fluctuation in the international market, he said.