LPG cap hike drama
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: January 31, 2014 -
Political gimmicks or election sops. Whatever we call it, but what the ruling party or parties could do in democratic India for taking the electors on a free-ride every time when some election is round the corner is something well-known to all of us.
The latest hike on the cap of subsidised LPG cylinders for domestic use from 9 to 12 cylinders per household in a year following a decision taken by the Union Cabinet on January 30 is just another political gimmick or election sop of the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre to win the election and remain in power.
But what is most interesting in this latest hike is how the decision of the Union Cabinet has come about after all the talks about the tight vigil against diversion of subsidized LPG meant for domestic use for commercial purposes paying off.
Speaking at a meeting of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) at New Delhi on January 17 last, AICC Vice President Rahul Gandhi roared, "Pradhan Mantriji, nine cylinders are not sufficient.
The Congress needs 12 cylinders. The women of India need 12 cylinders', to the loud applause from other Congress leaders present.
With Rahul making a strong pitch for raising the LPG cap, Union Minister of Oil and Natural Gas M Veerappa Moily, who had all along ruled out any possibility of raising the LPG cap did a U-turn and said, "Yes, the cap will be increased," and the Union Cabinet would take a definite decision very soon. And this brings us to the latest hike on LPG cap.
Now, the question is, is the latest hike on the cap of subsidized domestic LPG cylinders to 12 got anything to do with any real concern for the welfare of the people or not?
Our answer is not at all. It is just that the UPA Government thinks the move would go down well with the voters in an important election year.
Whether this move would bring more votes or not, only time will tell. But in the meantime, let us be very clear that there was no such cap on LPG cylinders for domestic as well as commercial use earlier.
But on the pretext of cutting its subsidy bill, UPA Government first announced cap on supply of subsidized domestic LPG cylinders to 6 per household in a year in September 2012.
Then, the annual quota of LPG cylinders entitled to every household was raised from 6 to 9 in January 2013.
So, the public should question on what basis the UPA Government first imposed restrictions on supply of LPG gas cylinders to household and then remove the restrictions arbitrarily if it has got anything to do with any serious efforts towards cutting down the subsidy in the first place.
Even if such flip-flop stand of the UPA Government manages to draw voters, it would surely cost the Government exchequer dearly.
Governor of Reserve Bank of India Radhuram Rajan has already given a thumb down to the decision of hiking the cap on LPG cylinders from 9 to 12, cautioning that the Government should be careful about expanding misdirected subsidy.
Well, the true meaning of the drama over the hike of LPG cap should not be lost to the people in this Congress-ruled State where getting even 5 LPG cylinders in a year by a household is still a distant dream.
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