The irony could not be starker. Even as the global price of crude oil has plunged to a recent low of $62 per barrel, down from $78 just six months ago, the Indian government has chosen to increase the price of Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) by Rs 50 per 14.2 kg cylinder.

What’s worse, even the poorest beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana will now pay the same hike. In one stroke, the government has erased the distinction between the economically privileged and the underprivileged.

This is not just disappointing, it is indefensible. Adding to the burden is a two per cent hike in excise duty on petrol and diesel. True, this hike will not directly affect........

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