(FE)
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan today said that subsidy on LPG won’t be cut down. Underlining that subsidy will only be rationalised, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister termed the uproar created by a united opposition in Parliament on the issue as baseless. Pradhan on Monday informed Lok Sabha that government has doubled the monthly increase in LPG price to Rs 4 per cylinder from July 1 with a view to eliminate all subsidies by March 2018.
Congress, SP, TMC, BSP and Left MPs had stalled the pre-noon proceedings in the Rajya Sabha by storming into the Well of the House, shouting slogans seeking withdrawal of the decision, forcing Deputy Chairman P J Kurien to first adjourn the proceedings for 10 minutes and then till noon. The issue was raised by Derek O’Brien (TMC) who gave a notice under Rule 267 that seeks to set aside the business of the day to discuss an important issue.
Clarifying the decision, Pradhan said the move flowed from a June 2010 decision under the previous UPA government to raise prices every month in small quantum to completely eliminate subsidies. He read out from a document that listed the decision and those who endorsed it. Pradhan said the BJP-led government has in the last three years raised the LPG connections from 14 crore to 21 crore and given as many as 2.6 crore free connections to poor women household members, according to PTI.
