New Delhi: The Centre said on Thursday that it will “look into” a demand to raise the quota of subsidised LPG cylinders to 12 per household in a year from the current limit of nine.
The statement comes after even Congress leaders demanded a reconsideration of the decision to hike the price of a non-subsidised LPG cylinder on Wednesday by a steep Rs 220.
“There is a request that the subsidised cylinders be increased from nine to 12,” said finance minister P. Chidambaram. “We will take a look at the proposal (for a rollback in price) and the demand to increase the subsidised cylinders to 12,” he added.
Ravi wants recall of LPG price hike
The decision to hike the price of non-subsidised LPG on Thursday triggered opposition from with the government with senior minister Vayalar Ravi seeking its reconsideration.
“It is quite natural that people will protest against this decision. Government should think about a solution to address the people's concern,” Ravi told reporters on the sidelines of a function here and added that he would convey his sentiment to petroleum and natural gas minister M. Veerappa Moily.
The Union minister of overseas Indian affairs was responding when asked about the decision yesterday to effect a steep hike of Rs 220 per cylinder of non-subsidised LPG.
This is the third increase in non-subsidised LPG rates in the past month. The price was hiked by Rs 63 a cylinder to Rs 1,017.50 on December 1. It was increased by a further Rs 3.50 to Rs 1,021 on December 11, when the government raised the commission for LPG dealers and distributors.
Slamming the hike in price of non-subsidised LPG cylinders as a “new year bonanza” which would add to people'’s miseries, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa today demanded its roll back.
The third revision within a month by the Congress-led coalition government was “condemnable” as it came amid soaring inflation, price-rise and increase in fuel prices, she said while questioning the pricing policy for natural gas.
“The tradition is to give some good news to the people on the New Year. The Central government giving suffering as new year bonanza is a betrayal which has not been committed by any government so far,” she said in an official statement.
Opposing the hike, the CPI activists staged a protest in Bhubaneswar.
