Weeks before the general elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced a reduction in domestic LPG prices by ₹100 a cylinder.
“This will significantly ease the financial burden on millions of households across the country, especially benefiting our Nari Shakti. By making cooking gas more affordable, we also aim to support the well-being of families and ensure a healthier environment,” Mr. Modi said on X, adding that the announcement was being made on the occasion of International Women’s Day.
Also read: Centre extends Ujjwala subsidy by another year
This is the second reduction in cooking gas prices in six months. Rates were cut by ₹200 per cylinder in late August ahead of the Assembly elections in five States, including Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
That revision brought down the price from a nine-year high of ₹1,103 per 14.2-kg cylinder to ₹903. With Friday’s cut, an LPG cylinder will cost ₹803.
Congress leader Randeep Surjewala called the announcement an “election gimmick”.
“The Congress-UPA government used to buy LPG at the international price, which was 28% more than the current price, but gave it to people at less than half the price by giving huge subsidies,” he said on X. He said the UPA government bought LPG at ₹880.5 per cylinder but made it available to the public at ₹399-₹414, whereas today, the government buys it at ₹740 per cylinder, while an amount of ₹900 to ₹1,000 is charged from the people.
The Trinamool Congress, West Bengal’s ruling party, dubbed the reduction a “token cut” and a “cheap political stunt”.
Nod for subsidy
On Thursday, the Union Cabinet approved the continuation of the targeted subsidy of ₹300 per 14.2 kg cylinder for up to 12 refills per year for beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) during FY 2024-25. As on March 1, 2024, there were more than 10.27 crore PMUY beneficiaries.
The government will incur a total expenditure of ₹12,000 crore for 2024-25. The subsidy is credited directly to the bank accounts of eligible beneficiaries.
