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"The party has decided that our Chief Ministers in the Congress ruled states will provide nine subsidised cylinders annually to each household," party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi told reporters here.
The step comes after the Trinamool Congress withdrew support to the UPA government demanding total withdrawal of the decision on FDI, raising the cap on subsidised LPG from six to 12 cylinders and reduction of diesel hike from Rs 5 by Rs 3 or Rs 4 for reconsideration of her decision.
Asked whether the increased cap will be only for BPL category, Dwivedi said, "It will be for all".
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has already announced nine subsidised cylinders for BPL families in the city.
Union Ministers K V Thomas and Harish Rawat have expressed their disagreement with the annual cap of six subsidised LPG cylinders per family.
Congress has governments in Delhi, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Uttarkhand, Assam, Maharashtra, Arunchal Pradesh and Mizoram.
Sources in the party said that "step by step" positive steps from the government and Congress will continue.
There were indications yesterday that though there will be no roll-back but government may consider "minor adjustments" in the wake of pressure from within the Congress and Trinamool Congress's decision to withdraw support to the UPA.
Food Minister K V Thomas had written a letter to the Prime Minister saying that the Centre's move to cap the number of subsidised LPG cylinders at six per household a year "will not go well" with the middle class and suggested a slab system with a marginal hike in price for extra cylinders.
The president of Congress has assured 9 cylinders, instead of 6, in the Congress-ruled states. This assurance is not only a warning signal to TMC but a "serious threat to the national integrity". The recent moves of both presidents remind me of the conflict between Pandit Nehru and the great economist, Dr. C.D. Deshmukh - over taking loans from foreign countries - in the very early years of independence. I think, Dr. Deshmukh was right in opposing loans from foreign countries. Our politicians' habit of taking loans over the past 65 years - is a dangerous one. The only difference is that, now-a-days, instead of word loans we use words like foreign investments, FDI. I still feel that Dr. Deshmukh was right and hence oppose any "direct or disguised" loan.
Instead of putting cap for 6 cylinders per year, government should take into consideration the plight of the middle class people who will be the maximum suffers. Government instead of putting cap of 6 cylinders per year should cap 12 cylinder per year, any further demand should put slab, from 12 to 15 & 15 to 20 increasing the amount of cylinder like electricity. With this people will take care of using. I sincerely hope that government will consider my suggestion.
