The Union Cabinet made an announcement on Tuesday about reducing the prices of 14.2-kg cooking gas cylinders by Rs 200 each. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed that this reduction would enhance the comfort and ease the lives of individuals, particularly highlighting its significance for women.
In a post written in Hindi on the platform X (formerly Twitter), PM Modi conveyed, “The festival of Raksha Bandhan is a day to enhance happiness in our family. The reduction in gas prices will increase the comfort of my sisters and make their lives easier. I pray to God that all my sisters be happy and healthy.”
The decision to reduce cooking gas prices was lauded as a gift from PM Modi on occasions like Raksha Bandhan and Onam. The Union Minister, Thakur, acknowledged the significance of this move, emphasizing that PM Modi had decided to lower the LPG prices by Rs 200 for all consumers. Additionally, the government plans to provide 75 lakh new LPG connections under the Ujjwala scheme.
Following this Cabinet decision, the revised cost of LPG cylinders for consumers across India will be Rs 900, down from the previous price of Rs 1,100. Beneficiaries of the PM Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) will receive this Rs 200 reduction in addition to the Rs 200 subsidy provided in March 2023, effectively resulting in the cylinder costing Rs 700 for around 10 crore Ujjwala beneficiaries.
The government also sanctioned an extra 75 lakh Ujjwala connections, expanding the total beneficiaries under PMUY to 10.35 crore.
The move to reduce cooking gas prices is anticipated to bring relief to numerous low-income households in India, especially with upcoming Assembly elections in five states and the general election in 2024. However, the government will need to allocate an additional Rs 4,000 crore to accommodate the increased subsidy, surpassing the Rs 7,600 crore initially budgeted for the current financial year.
