MyVoice: Views of our readers 9th March 2026

More hikes in store

The LPG cylinder price has been increased by Rs 60, which is seen as a perceived outcome of the West Asia crisis. The hidden damage to the nation’s economy is more as Russia will now offer oil at inflated costs after India lost its leverage after the trade deal with the US. These developments are bound to hit the common man as the agricultural produce of US will arrive at zero tariff whereas the Indian exports to US will cost 18 per cent tariff up, which had stood at 2.9 per cent before the deal.

P R Ravinder,Hyderabad

Spare the lower strata

The Union Government does not miss any opportunity to ventilate its staunch pro-rich and anti-poor sentiments. In less than a year the cost of LPG refill has been hiked by ₹110. This time the hike of ₹60 is attributed to the ongoing Iran war, which is quite understandable. But what is not explained is why this prompt response was missing when the country was importing cheap crude from Russia? Now without wasting time the burden of the Iran war is being passed on to the people, including the beneficiaries of the Ujwala scheme. More sufferings are in the offing as the Union Government will possibly increase prices of other fuels citing the same ‘Iran’ pretext. The Centre must realise that the common man and the middle class deserve a sympathetic approach.

A G Rajmohan,Anantapur-515004

Indian women dealt a major LPG blow

In what may be termed as a major International Women’s Day (IWD) blow, Indian women were handed over an inconceivable “gift”—a Rs 60 hike in LPG cylinders. It is not an isolated instance as such an increase will likely continue with petrol and diesel, which will hit poor and middle-class families, though the Centre has ruled out petrol price hike for now (THI March 8). The government should subsidise the domestic LPG price hike of Rs 60 as a real IWD gift.

Ganti Venkata Sudhir,Secunderabad

A second hike in less than a year

The first casualty of the West Asia crisis are domestic gas consumers across the country as domestic gas per cylinder has been increased by ₹ 60 and that of commercial cylinder by ₹115. It is the second time that the price of gas has been revised in less than a year. The hike in gas prices will severely impact the consumers during the marriage season. So, the government must try to get seamless transport of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.

Pratapa Reddy Yaramala,Tiruvuru (AP)

An avoidable ‘anti-people’ decision

The Union government’s recent hike in domestic LPG prices is forcing the ordinary citizens to bear the consequences of the government’s foreign policy “failures”. The price of domestic cooking gas was raised by Rs 60 per cylinder, the second such hike in less than a year amid a surge in global energy prices triggered by the escalating crisis in West Asia. The government is burdening citizens who are already grappling with inflation. The benefits of lower international prices have already been taken away from the public. There is widespread protest by the Mahila Congress against the LPG price hike. The women’s wing has demanded immediate rollback of the “anti-people” decision.

Bhagwan Thadani,Mumbai

Protecting kids in the digital age

To prevent the negative impact of social media on children, the governments of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh took a historic decision on Friday. A ban has been announced on social media use for children below the age of 16. In Andhra Pradesh, social media use by children below 13 years will be banned within the next 90 days. Both state governments are consulting on measures to ensure that children use artificial intelligence (AI) and social media cautiously. While parents have welcomed this decision, doubts are being raised about how effectively it would be implemented. Nowadays, many schools and colleges provide education through mobile phones or tablets, using several educational apps. In such a situation, controlling the use of educational apps and social media will be highly challenging. The decision comes amid rising concerns about online pornography, cyberbullying, online fraud, and internet addiction. Meta Platforms have issued a caution. The company advised governments considering such restrictions to ensure that teenagers are not pushed toward less safe and unregulated websites.

Dattaprasad Shirodkar,Mumbai