About 55 per cent of the savings made by the Government of India due to drop in global crude oil price has been returned to the customers while 45 per cent of the savings are being spent on development of road network infrastructure. Under the prime minister Narendra Modi’s initiative, savings amounting to Rs 28,000 crore subsidy amount was deposited directly into the accounts of lPG customers under the Direct Benefit Transfer of lPG scheme (DBTl) between January 1, 2015 and February 15, 2016 with about three crore duplicate consumers also being taken off the list of connection holders. The Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas (independent charge) Dharmendra Pradhan said this while addressing the media in Dehradun on Thursday.
Speaking about functioning of the ministry, Pradhan said that lPG penetration had reached about 60 per cent households in the nation. He said, “In response to the PM’s appeal to the citizens, about 72 lakh lPG customers have voluntarily given up their subsidy so far which in turn has resulted in facilitation of lPG connection for about 50 lakh BPl card holders. We had reckoned that the subsidy would be voluntarily given up mainly by the financially well off people but data reveals that even pensioners and members of the general public have returned their subsidies.
Our aim is to achieve a substantial jump in lPG sector in India in the coming two-three years facilitating easy access for the poverty affected and increase in the number of outlets among other aspects.”
Regarding crude oil, the minister said that a new import policy would be presented in the union cabinet soon. He said, “There has been a global drop in crude oil price since July 2014. Out of the savings made by the government following the price drop, about 55 per cent has been returned to the customers while about 45 per cent is being utilised for developing road infrastructure. Since the global price drop, we have adjusted the petrol price in 23 instances and diesel price in 17 instances.”
Regarding the change in the pattern of central budgetary allocations to the state, the minister said that the central budgetary provision for states in various central schemes had been increased while cuts were made under some heads as a balancing measure under the fourteenth finance commission.