Gas price hiked 62 pc

The government on Thursday hiked the price of natural gas -- which is used to make fertilisers, produce electricity and is turned into CNG for automobiles -- by 62 per cent, an official order said.

The price of natural gas produced by state-owned firms such as ONGC from fields given to them on nomination basis will be USD 2.90 per million British thermal unit for the six month period beginning October 1, it said.

The rate for gas produced from difficult fields such as deepsea would be USD 6.13 per mmBtu, it added.