The Union cabinet has resolved to decrease the price of petrol cylinders by Rs 200, which comes as a huge relief. Domestic petrol cylinders currently cost Rs 1,103 per unit in New Delhi.
The judgment comes ahead of assembly elections in five states later this year, including Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The decision also comes as political opponents have targeted the BJP-led Centre over price increases for vital goods like as onions and tomatoes.
Anurag Thakur, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, announced on Tuesday that the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had decided to grant 75 lakh free LPG connections under the Ujjwala initiative.
“On the occasion of Rakshabandhan and Onam, the Union government has decided to reduce the price of domestic cylinders by Rs 200 and to extend the Ujjwala scheme to 73 lakh women,” the minister is quoted as adding. The scheme currently has 9.6 crore beneficiaries.
According to the minister, the subsidy for Ujjwala recipients is now Rs 400 per LPG cylinder.
Domestic petrol cylinders will now cost roughly Rs 900 for normal users, and around Rs 700 for Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) recipients.