Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on May 1 launch an ambitious Rs 8,000 crore scheme to provide 5 crore free LPG connections to BPL families using the money saved from 1.13 crore cooking gas users voluntarily giving up their subsidies. Modi will launch the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana at Ballia in Uttar Pradesh on May 1 and do a repeat function at Dahod in Gujarat on May 15. Though ‘Give-it-Up’ campaign seeking the well-heeled to voluntarily surrender cooking gas subsidies for one year was launched in January, 2015, Modi on March 27 last year officially launched the programme.
Did You Know?
- Maharashtra tops the list with 16.44 lakh consumers giving up subsidies.
- Uttar Pradesh saw nearly 13 lakh users give up subsidies, followed by Delhi (7.26 lakh).
- Prime Minister’s home state of Gujarat was way down the list with just 4.2 lakh giving up subsidies.
- Pradhan’s home state of Odisha was even lower at 1.3 lakh.
- Consumers are currently entitled to 12 cylinders of 14.2 kg each or 34 bottles of 5 kg each in a year at subsidised rates.
- A subsidised 14.2-kg cylinder is currently available at Rs 419.13 per bottle in Delhi while the 5-kg pack costs Rs 155.
- Market-priced LPG is available at Rs 509.50 per 14.2-kg cylinder. Giving up subsidised LPG will help cut the government’s subsidy bill, which was at Rs 30,000 crore on the fuel last fiscal.
