In a big relief to domestic consumers, the Cabinet on Wednesday lifted the restriction of supply of only one subsidised cooking gas lPG cylinder to a household in a month, saying consumers can avail their quota of 12 cylinders at anytime of the year.
After much hue and cry, the outgoing UPA Government had raised the quota of subsidised 14.2kg lPG cylinders that a household could avail in a year to 12 from nine in February, but the Government had put a restriction of one cylinder per month.
“The Cabinet came to a conclusion that this system is causing problem to consumers. Sometimes people do not need one cylinder in a month but sometimes, such as during festive seasons, the demand is more. So if someone has not taken one cylinder on a given month, in remaining months he won’t get it,” Telecom and law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said briefing reporters about the decision taken by the Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister.
Consumers can now avail of their quota of 12 cylinders at the rate of Rs 414 each in Delhi at anytime of the year. Any requirement beyond this will have to be purchased at market price of Rs 920 per 14.2-kg cylinder.
The Cabinet also gave its approval for the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) in the field of healthcare between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of India and the Ministry of Health, labour and Welfare of Japan. The two countries agreed to share knowledge on training human resources and exchanging knowledge on health financing towards universal health coverage.
In another decision, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its approval to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to amend the Model Concession Agreement (MCA) as may be required from time to time; and to decide the mode of delivery of projects.
At present, the MCA has no provision for adding changes thus making contracts very rigid and tight-fitted inconveniencing both the Government and the developer even as it added to project delays. In the newly drafted MCA, which the Cabinet has approved, the NHAI has provided clauses to give powers to change bidding documents if the projects are stuck midway.
During 2010-2012, the road developers had bid aggressively under Public Private Partnership when the UPA Government awarded a record 147 road projects worth Rs1.50 lakh crore. With world markets affected by the downturn, costs went up putting brakes to several projects. At present, road projects worth Rs60,000 crore are awaiting completion. With no provision to amend the MCA several projects were finding it difficult to find a head way.
The government deferred a decision on its stake sale in three PSUs -- ONGC, Coal India and NHPC as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was not in town. The CCEA did not take up the disinvestment proposals as the minister concerned was not present, Prasad told reporters.