The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit as part of the 'kerosene-free programme' of the Delhi Government.

Sources said three more subsidised cylinders from the present nine would be given to BPL, Antyodya and JRC cardholders.

The hike in the number of subsidised cylinder was not across the board, they said.

The decision by the Delhi Government comes days after the Centre increased the number of subsidised cylinders from six to nine.

However, the Delhi government had in November itself decided to provide nine subsidised LPG cylinders annually to around 3.56 lakh poor families identified under Kerosene-free Delhi scheme.

Now it has been increased to 12, the sources said.

In September, the Centre had decided that each household will get six cylinders of 14.2-kg per annum at the subsidised rate and any requirement beyond that would have to be procured at market rate.