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PM Narendra Modi announces reduction in LPG cylinder price, Opposition questions timing
LPG cylinder price cut on Women's Day: PM Modi said the decision will significantly ease the financial burden on millions of households.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced a major reduction in the prices of domestic gas cylinders. Announcing his government's decision on International Women's Day, PM Modi said the prices of domestic gas cylinders will be slashed by ₹100. He said the decision will significantly ease the financial burden on millions of households.
PM Modi said the move will especially benefit the women of the country.
"Today, on Women's Day, our Government has decided to reduce LPG cylinder prices by Rs. 100. This will significantly ease the financial burden on millions of households across the country, especially benefiting our Nari Shakti," he wrote on X.
PM Modi said by making cooking gas affordable, his government wants to ensure a healthier environment. He said the Centre's decision will empower women.
"By making cooking gas more affordable, we also aim to support the well-being of families and ensure a healthier environment. This is in line with our commitment to empowering women and ensuring ‘Ease of Living’ for them," he added.
Meanwhile, in a related decision, the Central government on Thursday announced the extension of ₹300 per LPG cylinder subsidy to poor women under the Ujjwala Yojana for the next fiscal starting April 1.
Also read: Govt extends ₹300 LPG subsidy for Ujjwala beneficiaries till 2025
The government in October last year hiked the subsidy from ₹200 per 14.2-kg cylinders for up to 12 refills per year to ₹300 per bottle. The ₹300 per cylinder subsidy was for the current fiscal, which ends on March 31.
PM Modi greets nation on International Women's Day
In another post on X, PM Modi saluted the strength and courage of India's Nari Shakti.
"Greetings on International Women's Day! We salute the strength, courage, and resilience of our Nari Shakti and laud their accomplishments across various fields. Our government is committed to empowering women through initiatives in education, entrepreneurship, agriculture, technology and more. This is also reflected in our accomplishments in the last decade," he said.
Opposition attacks government
NCP (SCP) MP Supriya Sule called the announcement 'jumla'.
"I am not surprised at all. Look at the timing. They have been in power for the last 9 years. Why didn't they think of this earlier? Just when the election, I mean it will probably be announced in the next 5 or 6 days, "yeh aur ek jumla hai"...In our government, the cylinder was ₹430. Why don't they match it?," she said.
Congress spokesperson Surendra Rajput said: “The BJP is a very clever party. They sell (LPG) cylinders of ₹395 at ₹1000 and then PM Modi makes an announcement of reducing it by ₹100.”
Samajwadi Party Mahila Sabha national president Juhie Singh said PM Modi's Ujwala Yojna is a fraud.
"Mahadev is watching how people are being deceived (by the BJP government). Cylinder prices are increasing. I think PM Modi should visit not only the 'sponsored part' of the villages but actually go and see how ‘Ujwala Yojna’ is a fraud. Women are a huge part of the population and a big chunk of our society. So, unless you won’t make them economically strong, there would be no development in the society," she said.
TMC leader Sagarika Ghose questioned the timing of the decision.
"Just a few days before general election 2024, the Modi government cuts LPG prices. Why could this have not been done earlier when women consumers were labouring under high LPG prices even when global prices were low? Now when elections are around the corner, down come LPG prices. Height of political cynicism! India needs a Pradhan Mantri not an election Mantri," she said on X.
With inputs from ANI, PTI
