NEW DELHI: The Congress party has strongly criticized the central government’s decision to reduce the number of subsidized Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY). The party alleged that the government’s actions demonstrate a lack of genuine concern for the welfare of women, labelling it as shedding “crocodile tears” while being “intoxicated on power.”.
Information was available with The Chenab Times indicating that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge stated that the reality of the current administration’s poverty-reduction initiatives is that essential support systems are being dismantled. He asserted that first, the right to work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) was removed for the poor, and now, even basic necessities like cooking fuel are being made inaccessible.
Kharge detailed the timeline of changes to the Ujjwala scheme, recalling that in 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had claimed the scheme would liberate women from the traditional practice of using wood-burning stoves. Initially, the promise was for 12 subsidized cylinders per year. However, this was reduced to nine in the preceding year, and now, the number of subsidized cylinders has been further cut from nine to just four annually. “In short, a promise of 12, but an intention of giving only 4,” Kharge remarked in a statement posted in Hindi.
The Congress president highlighted that LPG prices have been repeatedly increased, leaving 5.56 crore beneficiaries unable to afford necessary refills. He further stated that mothers and sisters are being forced to abandon their gas cylinders and return to using traditional stoves due to affordability issues. “While the Modi government, which sheds crocodile tears over their plight, is intoxicated by power!” Kharge added.
These remarks come in the wake of a recent price hike for domestic LPG cylinders. The price of a 14.2-kg domestic LPG cylinder in Delhi was increased to Rs 942 from Rs 913. Under the revised PMUY scheme, beneficiaries will now effectively pay Rs 642 per cylinder for the first four refills annually, a significant reduction from the previously announced nine subsidized refills. This increase follows a Rs 60-per-cylinder hike on March 7, bringing the cumulative increase to Rs 89 per 14.2-kg cylinder.
State-run oil marketing companies were reportedly incurring losses of approximately Rs 703 on every LPG cylinder sold before the latest price revision. The government has maintained that Indian households continue to pay among the lowest prices for cooking gas globally, despite a sharp rise in international LPG prices attributed to disruptions in West Asia. According to a government statement, the cost of supplying a domestic LPG cylinder has escalated to over Rs 1,600 following a surge in international prices after the outbreak of conflict in West Asia in late February.
❤️ Support Independent Journalism
Your contribution keeps our reporting free, fearless, and accessible to everyone.
Or make a one-time donation
Secure via Razorpay • 12 monthly payments • Cancel anytime before next cycle
(We don't allow anyone to copy content. For Copyright or Use of Content related questions, visit here.)
The Chenab Times News Desk
