West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday announced that her government would waive cess on LPG, so that the blow on domestic consumers of cooking gas in West Bengal is softened.
Following this announcement, household consumers will see their LPG prices increase by only Rs. 34 a cylinder against the Rs. 50 effected by the Centre. “It is a relief of Rs. 16 per cylinder,” she said
She told reporters that she had already talked to the Prime Minister on the petroleum products' price increase effected since Friday midnight. She said that while the new price structure (after adjusting for the cess relief) would come into force immediately, the notification would be issued on Monday.
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Ms. Banerjee said: “There will be a Rs. 75-crore revenue loss on account of forgoing the cess on LPG but for her government, people were the sovereigns, their suffering has to be mitigated.”
She said she had discussed this issue with her Finance Minister Amit Mitra. Mr. Mitra presented a vote-on-account budget in the State Assembly on Friday saying that a full budget can be presented after more discussions and after the conclusion of the talks between the Chief Minister and the Union Finance Minister from whom the State government had sought assistance, to tide over its financial stress.
Pointing out that she was pained by the Rs. 50 a cylinder increase in LPG prices, she said that her government had shown the way, though the Left Front government had never initiated such a move.
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