‘Time to think of income bracket for LPG subsidy’

Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday said that the time has come for the Government to think on income brackets for consumers to avail of the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) subsidy. “The finance minister has asked me whether the time has come to think of any income brackets for consumers to avail of LPG subsidies and I told him there is a need to think on this,” Pradhan told reporters on the sidelines of a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)seminar here.

Urging consumers to give up the subsidy on LPG, he said that from the time of implementation of the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), the Government has been able to save Rs 15,000 crore in the last fiscal. Pradhan said that 3 crore duplicate LPG connections were terminated, which had led to this savings.

The minister also said the Government is planning to include kerosene in line with LPG for targetting the subsidies effectively. He said that voluntary surrender of LPG subsidies was the lowest in the East, while the figure for Kolkata was less than 1 lakh as against the national total of 46 lakh.

Meanwhile, Union Minister for Urban Development and Parliamentary Affairs  M Venkaiah Naidu said in Hyderabad on Saturday that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government is mulling whether to lift the subsidy on LPG cylinder for consumers whose annual income is above Rs 10 lakh.” Dharmendra Pradhan told me that the Government has found many of illegal gas connections and is saving thousands of crore of rupees by stopping supply to those consumers,” informed Naidu.

“They (the Government) are also planning that the consumers whose income is above Rs 10 lakh, gas subsidy will not be given. Why do they need subsidy? Why ministers need subsidy,”? he asked.

“So far, 30 lakh people have given up the LPG subsidy. That subsidy will be given to poor people,” he said.

Naidu was speaking at an awards function organised by Federation of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Chambers of Commerce. He said that the Government has so far brought out about 35 changes in the country’s foreign direct investment (FDI) policy across 15 sectors.

Seeking support from the Opposition parties for passing some crucial Bills such as the GST Bill, the Union Minister said that the Government is willing to talk to them on pursuing its agenda. “Our Government’s agenda is development, good governance, elimination of poverty and empowerment of youth and women. The Opposition should also cooperate with the Government in pursuing these reforms. People want the politics of development.”

“We seek support of all political parties to pursue a developmental agenda in the larger interest of the country,” he said. Taking a dig at those criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Naidu said they should respect the mandate of the people with tolerance. He pointed out that India is attracting investments from all over the world.