Moily: no proposal to increase LPG cylinder cap

Union petroleum minister Veerappa Moily on Saturday said there was no proposal before the government to increase the number of subsidised liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders.

Union petroleum minister Veerappa Moily on Saturday said there was no proposal before the government to increase the number of subsidised liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders.

Accompanying Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his visit to Kochi, Moily said, “We don’t have any such proposal. Nine cylinders a year (the prescribed limit) cover almost 90% of the consumers. Only 10% are left without subsidy.”

Two days ago, Union finance minister P Chidambaram had said in Delhi that the government would take a look at the growing demand to increase the number of subsidised cylinders to 12.

Earlier on Saturday, Bharatiya Janata Party youth wing activists tried to block the convoy of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, while protesting against the hike in non-subsidised cooking gas prices.

The PM is in Kerala on a two-day visit. The security breach happened when the PM was on his way to Thiruvananthapuram airport. Waving black flags, a group of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) workers jumped on to the road when the PM’s convoy was passing, but the police overpowered them. Six BJYM activists were arrested.

The Centre’s decision to hike the price of non-subsidised cooking gas, which customers buy after consuming their quota of nine subsidised cylinders a year, by a steep Rs. 220 per bottle on firming international rates has triggered protests.

Even Union shipping minister GK Vasan has requested the petroleum ministry to 'reconsider' the hike.

Moily, however, said the price rise would only affect those who were not in the ambit of subsidy.