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Thursday 17 January 2013

Govt raises cap on subsidised LPG cylinder to 9 from April

The government on Thursday raised the cap on supply of subsidised LPG cylinders to nine cylinders from six per year and allowed oil companies to hike diesel prices by a "small quantum" periodically.

There will be no change in LPG and kerosene rates, oil minister M Veerappa Moily


told reporters in New Delhi after the meeting on Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA).

"I am happy to inform the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs has decided to raise the cap on subsidised LPG to nine cylinders per household in a year from existing six cylinders," he said.

Consumers will get a quota of five subsidised cylinders between September 2012 and March 2013 and from April 1, 2013, they will be entitled to nine cylinders per annum.

The government had on Wednesday sought permission from the Election Commission (EC) to hike the number of subsidised LPG cylinders from 6 to nine.

The EC has reportedly said that the government's decision to hike the subsidised LPG cap is not the violation of election code of conduct.

Moily said that the oil companies have been permitted to raise diesel prices by a small quantum periodically till such time that they are able to cover Rs. 9.60 per litre loss they incur on the fuel.

Refusing to provide details of diesel price increase, Moily said the raise may taken place as early as Thursday night.


'No objection to govt's proposal'

The Election Commission has granted no objection to the government's proposal for an increase in the cap of subsidised LPG cylinders from six to nine in a year.

The decision was taken at a full commission meeting held on Thursday under the chairmanship of Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath, and communicated to the Union Cabinet, which met to take a call on the matter.

The government had on Wednesday written to the Commission, seeking its view on the issue of raising the cap on LPG cylinders since the Model Code of Conduct is in operation in Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura which are going to polls next month.

During the last phase of elections in Gujarat in December, the Commission had taken a serious note of the government's announcement regarding a possible raise in the number of subsidised LPG cylinders each family can have in a year.

The poll body had then asked the government against making any such announcement in future without its approval when the model code is in operation.

Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Govt-raises-cap-on-subsidised-LPG-cylinder-to-9-from-April/Article1-990977.aspx

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