Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged the rich to give up subsidy on cooking gas, the savings from which — to the tune of Rs. 100 crore — could be used for the welfare of the poor.
As many as 2.8 lakh people had responded to his call for giving up LPG subsidy, and this would result in Rs. 100 crore savings, Mr. Modi said at Urja Sangam 2015, a global energy summit. “I had made a small mention about giving up LPG subsidy. As many as 2.8 lakh people have responded positively... This will lead to a saving of at least Rs. 100 crore [that] can be utilised for the welfare of the poor.”
He said that over the next four years, oil companies planned to increase the reach of piped gas connections to one crore consumers from the current Rs. 27 lakh.
Ever since the Direct Benefits Transfer Scheme began, many consumers opted out of the LPG subsidy. Twelve crore bank accounts under the Jan Dhan Yojana were being used to transfer subsidies directly to beneficiaries, and this helped to plug leaks and curb corruption, he said.
Mr. Modi said the nation needed to reduce its dependence on energy imports — currently 77 per cent — by 10 per cent by the end of 2022. “If we can do it, I am sure we will be able to bring down total energy dependence on imports to 50 per cent by 2030.”
