new delhi: The government is considering increasing the quota of subsidised cooking gas (LPG) cylinders from nine to 12 per household in a year, Petroleum Minister M Veerappa Moily said yesterday.
“I have read in the newspapers about (Congress vice-president) Rahul Gandhi taking up the issue of increasing the LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) cap with the prime minister. I am yet to get comments from the Congress vice-president or the prime minister,” he told reporters at the Petrotech 2014 conference, on the national capital’s outskirts.
The minister said the final decision in the matter will be taken by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA).
Pointing out that around 89 percent of the 150 million LPG consumers use up to nine cylinders a year, while only 10 percent have to buy the additional requirement at market prices, Moily said if the quota is raised, about 97 percent of LPG consumers would get subsidised LPG.
“If that proposal (for hiking the LPG cap) comes, we need to examine pros and cons. Ultimately, the decision will be taken by CCEA (Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs) or CCPA (Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs),” he said.
“We are going to take a considered view, we are considering suggestions,” Moily said.
Increasing the cap to 12 cylinders would result in an additional fuel subsidy burden of between `33bn-`58 for the government.
IOC, dealer fined
Meanwhile, the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) has asked the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and a cooking gas dealer to pay compensation of `200,000 to the kin of a couple, who died after an LPG gas cylinder exploded.
NCDRC presiding member K S Chaudhari and member B C Gupta, in a order delivered last week, directed the IOC and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) dealer, Shiva Gas Service, Mysore, to pay `200,000 compensation to the kin of B K Thimmegowda.
The commission was hearing a plea filed by the United India Insurance Company Limited, Mysore, seeking revision of order passed by the Karnataka State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, where it directed the insurance company with the gas dealer and the company to pay compensation.
The Karnataka commission order came on a plea filed by Gowramma, a resident of Mysore, Karnataka.
She told the commission that her father, late B K Thimmegowda, took an LPG gas connection for domestic use from Mysore-based Shiva Gas Service November 27, 1999.
On December 7, 1999, the cylinder exploded causing severe injuries to her father and mother and also damaging property, she claimed. Her parents succumbed to their injuries on December 10, 1999.
The complainant, alleging deficiency in service, demanded compensation for the death of her parents and also for the loss caused to moveable and immoveable properties.
The commission allowed the revision plea of the United India Insurance Company Limited, saying:
“It is not obligatory on the part of the insurance company to make the payment to the complainants, as the said cylinder was not in the process of being installed under the terms and condition of the policy.”IANS
