Cap on subsidised LPG raised to 9, companies free to fix diesel price

Mangaloretoday/CNN/IBN

New Delhi, Jan 17: The Cabinet on Thursday refused to take a call on increasing the prices of diesel, kerosene and LPG and instead put the onus of oil marketing companies to decide on diesel price from time to time. While announcing that the cap on subsidised LPG cylinders will be raised from six to nine from April 2013, Oil and Natural Gas Minister M Veerappa Moily said that the oil marketing companies can now decide on diesel price and change it by a small margin from time to time.

 

Declining to clarify on the quantum of change in diesel price, Moily said that it is up to the oil marketing companies to decide on the amount. Refusing to use the word "deregulation", the government said that there will be small changes spread over a period of time while the Oil Secretary said that the move cannot be termed as deregulation.

The Oil Ministry had earlier this month made a proposal to Cabinet to raise diesel prices and increase the number of subsidised LPG cylinders available to households to nine a year from the current cap of six.

The Cabinet has approved the Petroleum Ministry’s proposal to increase the number of subsidised LPG cylinders available to households to nine a year from the current cap of six.

The government had sought permission from the Election Commission on Wednesday as three states - Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland - will go to polls soon and the model code of conduct is in force. Giving its approval, the Election Commission said the decision was not a violation of code as it was an ongoing scheme.

With effect from April 2013, all households will be get nine subsidised cylinders instead of the earlier six.

India, which imports more than 80 per cent of its fuel needs, liberalised petrol prices in June 2010 but continues to regulate diesel prices to protect the poor. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had recently said the country must gradually bring local fuel prices in line with global prices.

Manmohan Singh had warned that the government must raise diesel, kerosene and cooking gas prices in a phased manner as India’s fuel prices are well below international prices. "Energy remains under priced in our country, with coal, petroleum products and natural gas prices well below international prices. To meet our target of rapid, inclusive and sustainable growth we must undertake a phased rationalisation of energy prices to bring them in line with world prices," he had said on Monday.