Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Tuesday said that the Union Cabinet’s decision to reduce domestic LPG cylinder prices was not linked to upcoming assembly polls and was about providing relief to people.
“It has got nothing to do with elections and it is all to do with relief measures and benefits to be given to the users,” Thakur said in response to a question at a press conference on decisions of the union cabinet.
Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, and Mizoram are set to go for Assembly polls later this year followed by general elections in 2024.
The Union Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, announced Rs 200 reduction in domestic cooking gas prices.
Anurag Thakur said the decision is a gift from PM Modi, to the women of the country on Onam and Raksha Bandhan.
Effective Wednesday, the price of a 14.2 kg LPG cylinder will be reduced by Rs 200 across the country. In Delhi for instance, the decision will bring down the cost of a 14.2 kg cylinder from the existing Rs 1,103 per cylinder to Rs 903.
This across-the-board reduction is in addition to the existing targeted subsidy of Rs 200 per cylinder to Ujjwala households, which will continue. Therefore, the effective price in Delhi for Ujjwala beneficiaries after this reduction will be Rs 703.
It may be noted that there are more than 31 crore domestic LPG consumers, including 9.6 crore Ujjwala beneficiaries.
Anurag Thakur said the government has initiated several schemes for the welfare of women, including pucca houses, toilets, additional foodgrains and Direct Benefit Transfer during the Covid pandemic.
India is dependent on imports for 60 per cent of its natural gas requirements.
The minister also said that the central government has decided to add another 75 lakh Ujjwala gas beneficiaries. At present, there are 9.6 crore beneficiaries of the scheme.