Churches being charged commercial rate for LPG: Goa MLA

A Goa Vikas Party legislator today demanded that the state government should take up with the Centre the issue of doing away with subsidy on LPG cylinders as even Catholic parish priests in Goa are now required to pay commercial charges to buy LPG cylinders.
Caetano Silva, a legislator representing GVP said in the assembly today that the LPG agencies were charging commercial rate for gas cylinders supplied to the church though priests do not use them for commercial purpose.
Silva said that state civil supplies ministry should take up the issue with the union government and exclude priests from being charged commercial rates.

"I am not sure whether priests at temples are also charged commercial rate. If that is so, the government should intervene," the legislator said.
"Priests had supported BJP-led coalition during the assembly election. Don't punish them for supporting you," Silva, whose party has supported the ruling government, said.
The union government had revised its LPG policy last September and restricted the supply of subsidised domestic LPG cylinders to six per household in a year and did not offer any subsidy to other entities who are required to pay commercial rate which is more than double the subsidised price.
Though in the month of January this year government revised the cap on subsidised domestic LPG cylinders from six to nine with effect from April 1.