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A 14.2 kg cylinder would have cost Rs 922 in the capital after the increase but late in the evening, Moily asked officials of Indian Oil Corp, the largest oil marketing firm, to keep the decision in abeyance, and called a meeting on Friday to discuss it, sources said.
They attributed the reversal to the approaching Diwali festival and assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh on Sunday and in Gujarat next month.
The price increase would have meant that consumers who have used up their quota of three subsidised cylinders after September 14 would have to buy refills at Rs 922 in Delhi, Rs 950 in Kolkata, Rs 906.50 in Mumbai and Rs 915 in Chennai.
On September 13, the government had capped the number of subsidised LPG cylinders to six per year per household.
For the rest of this financial year, however, it had said consumers could get three subsidised cylinders irrespective of how many cylinders they had used so far this year.
On October 1, when Jaipal Reddy was petroleum minister, oil marketing firms were allowed to raise the price of non-subsidised LPG cylinders by Rs 127 per cylinder to Rs 883.50, one of the reasons that provoked Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress to walk out of the UPA.
Public sector oil marketing firms revise the price of non-subsidised cooking gas on the first day of every month, and Thursday’s increase was mandated by firming international prices, officials said.
But the decision was attacked by opposition parties, with the BJP asking the government and the ruling Congress party why they were unable to control the price of LPG.
It is as usual, whenever there is a resuffle and govt ministers get/change the KURSI, their first priority is to hike the prices in whatever portfolio they are in. Bansal already hinted hiking the railway fare, moili is eager to increase the cooking gas price when he sat down in his new portfolio chair. Why only congress is treating its citizens like their sole ENIMY? Why dont they think, where from the common man manage his life or is it that now they want to eradicate the commom man too like their did the poormen from the country? An armed revoution wont be far away, if the cong govt treat the countries population worser than the Taliban by putting hurdles at every walk of life.
If a politician, who has vast experience as a Central Minister, and is 70 does not have sense of timing,i.e., forthcoming elections, when to take an unpopular decision, hitting his Party's election prospects, then God help him! Thgis is called harakari!
Again UPA Gov.increased The LPG price and deciced to PUT ON HOLD the deceision.why because Himacahl is going to poll on tomorrow (Gujrat only on Dec). So they can remove the hold on Monday.When oil prices comes up,always gov.is telling it is Oil companies decision and they cannot do anything. Now the Minister give the order to HOLD.I think people of Himachal & Gujarat will take good decision.UPA & Co. is great.
