Guwahati: Domestic LPG consumers will now have to tighten their monthly budgets as cooking gas prices have risen for the second time this year following the West Asia conflict. The cost of a 14.2kg cylinder increased by Rs 29 to Rs 991 in Guwahati on Sunday. Earlier, prices were hiked by Rs 60 in March.The latest increase in domestic LPG prices comes after five consecutive hikes in petrol and diesel rates and six successive increases in commercial LPG (19kg) prices since Jan. The ripple effect is visible in the prices of essential commodities, including vegetables, across markets.Cooking gas prices have fluctuated sharply over the past five years, with the cost of a 14.2kg cylinder nearly doubling during the period before easing slightly and rising again this year.The price, which stood at Rs 743 in Jan 2021 — a month before Himanta Biswa Sarma took charge as CM — rose steeply through 2021 with multiple hikes, jumping to Rs 948 by Oct that year. The upward trend continued in 2022, when rates breached the Rs 1,000 mark, peaking at Rs 1,102 in July.Prices remained elevated in early 2023, touching an all-time high of Rs 1,152 in March. A sharp correction followed, with rates dropping by Rs 200 in Aug 2023 and further declining to Rs 852 by March 2024.The relief proved temporary. Prices began rising again, reaching Rs 902 in April 2025 and climbing to Rs 962 in March 2026. The rate remained unchanged from April 2025 to Feb this year. The latest hike in June 2026 has pushed the price to Rs 991, marking a Rs 29 increase.Despite intermittent reductions, LPG prices in Guwahati remain significantly higher than 2021 levels, continuing to strain household budgets.After the fresh hike, the hilly district of Dima Hasao now records the highest price at Rs 1,100.5 for a 14.2 kg cylinder, followed by Karimganj (Rs 1,093.5) and Hailakandi (Rs 1,085). Cachar, another Barak Valley district, is also among the costliest at Rs 1,076.5.In contrast, Guwahati remains relatively cheaper at Rs 991, though still close to the Rs 1,000 mark. Several central and northern districts such as Nagaon, Hojai, and West Karbi Anglong have uniform pricing at Rs 1,014. Districts like Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Sonitpur, and Udalguri are marginally lower at Rs 1,007.5.Prices dip further in lower Assam, with Nalbari (Rs 999.5), Baksa and Darrang (Rs 999), and Dhubri and South Salmara Mankachar (Rs 992.5). Bajali and Barpeta stand at Rs 984.The lowest LPG prices in the state are recorded in upper Assam districts, with Tinsukia and Dibrugarh at Rs 941, followed by Sivasagar (Rs 949.5). Jorhat and Charaideo are priced at Rs 957.5, while Golaghat and Majuli stand at Rs 958.5.“The prices vary from district to district depending on transportation costs from the plants to the locations. The product is cheaper in districts located near the plants and costlier in those farther away. The same factor also applies to petrol and diesel prices,” an IOCL official said.
