Rise in fuel price, bus fares, power tariff hit people hard in Telangana

HYDERABAD: With petrol and diesel prices reaching around Rs 110.91 and Rs 97.24 respectively, and LPG gas per cylinder crossing the Rs 1,000 mark, the public are going to face a tough time managing their monthly budget.

RTC bus fares are also going up along with fuel hike, making it hard for them to consider opting for public transport. On top of this, comes the power tariff hike.

Petrol bunk operators said the hikes in the last four days, after a 137 day gap, are likely to continue for another couple of weeks. “If you stay home in summer, using an air conditioner will be costly. You step out to work, fuel rates will burn a hole in your pocket. Go for public transport, another price hike welcomes you. How is the government expecting an average taxpayer to handle such high rates of basic everyday commodities?” asked Rajan Chandra, an analyst working for a tech firm in Gachibowli.

Ramesh Beereddy, a private employee from Marredpally said with the rates going up, the traffic officials should get rid of the barricades preventing commuters from taking U-turns. “It might not feel like a big deal but it can save a lot of fuel. There are several U-turns in the city that have been blocked in the last few years. It will make the life of a commuter easier and also save fuel,” he said.

Abhijeet Gupta, a private employee from Karkhana, said he was opting to carpool with colleagues. “I cannot survive with this heat and the high rates. We have carpooled to work before and it proved to be very cost-effective,” he said.

“We have been through this already last year and we know exactly how to adjust the budget according to fuel hikes. What has taken us by surprise is the price increase in electricity, gas and RTC fares. It seems like the government is targeting the public’s pocket,” said Sanjana Rao, a software employee working in Madhapur.

Vox Pop

Successive governments failed to control skyrocketing prices of essential commodities. We must change the names of LPG to YellPG, Petrol to deathrol, power to blower etc. It is the policy of some countries not to raise the prices of a few basic services like public transport and electricity. -- - D. Ramchandran, private employee

Just when I thought we could switch to RTC buses, I saw the headline stating they had hiked their prices as well. No peace for the common
public. On behalf of all the taxpayers, I thank the government for kicking us where it hurts the most. - Debu Sinha, corporate employee and a fitness coach

As life is returning to normalcy after two years of pandemic, these sudden hikes in fuels, LPG, and power tariff are unbearable for any middle-class person. It is leaving us all with financial pressure and under a lot of stress. - Kety Pilcher, a dentist.