The Union government has affected steep hike in petroleum prices. Petrol is dearer by Rs five, diesel by Rs three per litre and LPG cylinder would not cost Rs 50 more. Prime Minister Manmohan says that price hike had become a crying need in view of heavy losses to oil companies. But the masses think differently. They say that even if price hike was so imperative, it should not have been so steep. The central government should have hiked petrol price by Rs two and diesel price by Re 1 while Rs 20 should have been added to the existing cost of LPG cylinder.