New Delhi: When Supreme Court asked the Centre to supply the excess rice and wheat in bags rotting outside in rain and sunshine, and eaten by fat bandicoots, “free of cost” to the Below Poverty Line families (BPL) in lakhs in Congress India, pat came the criticism vehemently, that there was nothing the govt could do or have, to feed Indians free of cost.
All armchairs were at war with the SC, for even suggesting such a pre-posterous thing! Perhaps they wanted more rodents to help themselves, rather than give Pakistani flood-hit people (21 millions) free rotis and paranthas, or deprive India’s 40% population at BP levels, of their free meals by a humanitarian “Maa Bap” Sarkar.
But, wait, you have to forgive SC, because now from another corner of Delhi govt, blocks, the Fuels Ministry is contemplating to provide “FREE” domestic LPG (new) connections to the same BPL families from Oct.2 (Mahatma’s birthday). Is it a boon, or a facility in disguise? It is on paper now. It could uplift “cook by wood” families in to “cook by gas” homes.
Presently, any new LPG connection costs Rs.1,400 as deposit by possible consumers, which is likely to be waived by a civic sense in fuels ministry.
The new Budget will have to earmark about Rs.500 crores for this subsidy (including a pressure regulator for the gas). The scheme requires Cabinet consent in this month. All the same, LPG connections will be a reality by Oct.2, according to a secretary of the Ministry of Oils & Fuels.
The scheme will be the second biggest to assist BPL families, under UPA leadership. The earlier scheme, during UPA’s first innings at N. Delhi, related to rural employment and waiving of agricultural loans, says Jitin Prasad, Minister of state for Petroleum and Natural Gas supplies.
Every year from 2010, 35 lakhs of BPL families will get subsidized gas connections. The scheme will be run by major Oil companies, he added.
He did not say who will pay for the exorbitant (from BPL side) LPG price on cylinders for home-cooking purposes.