Cabinet allows yearly quota of 12 LPG cylinders to be taken anytime

The union cabinet Wednesday removed the restriction of supply of only one subsidised LPG cylinder to a household per month brought in by the previous UPA government, thus permitting consumers to avail their quota of 12 cylinders anytime of the year.

"The cabinet today (Wednesday) came to a conclusion that this system is causing problem to the people. Sometimes people do not need one, sometimes during festive season demand is more," Telecom and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters after the cabinet meeting.

"Looking at the benefit of people, that condition has been done away with. Now they will get 12 cylinders at subsidised rate," he added.

"Previous government on February 28, 2014 had decided that 12 subsidised cylinders will be given to people. But there was a clause that you have to take 1 cylinder every month," Prasad said.

Later, a petroleum ministry statement said: "This decision of the government will alleviate difficulties faced by the genuine LPG consumers as the consumption of LPG cylinders is never exactly one per month. This change will meet their genuine requirements subject to their annual entitlement of subsidised cylinders.