TV
A day after the Union Cabinet announced a reduction in the prices of liquified petroleum gas (LPG), politics is now active in Odisha with political parties expressing their dissatisfaction over Rs 200 price cut per cylinder for common consumers.
The consumers enrolled in the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) will get a relief of Rs 400 per cylinder. However, the price reduction has failed to satisfy the ruling BJD and the Congress in Odisha.
Though it is being said that the BJP announced the reduction in LPG prices to attract women voters, politics has now intensified with the parties questioning such a decision ahead of the polls.
With the announcement, the price of domestic cylinders has now gone down to Rs 929 from 1,129 from today. Around 5 lakh new beneficiaries in the state will get Ujjwala connections.
Decision to check BJD’s women vote bank strategy?
The BJD, on the other hand, said that the prices of LPG had risen considerably. However, the reduction of Rs 200 is paltry and the Centre should have given more relief to arrest inflation.
“LPG prices are hurting the common man. Though the Centre has announced a reduction of Rs 200, people were expecting more relief. Women are with Naveen Patnaik as he has taken initiatives which had not been taken in the past,” said BJD leader, Debi Prasad Mishra.
Similarly, Congress said that the price of LPG was Rs 450 per cylinder and it touched Rs 1100 during BJP’s rule. The Centre has announced a reduction of a mere Rs 200 per cylinder.
“The prices have been reduced keeping in view the upcoming elections. The Centre has looted crores from women and others and now they have slashed prices by Rs 200. There is no justification. We want to ask whether they will provide LPG cylinders at Rs 450,” questioned Odisha Congress leader, Tara Prasad Bahinipati.
Political pundits say that that reduction in LPG prices is an attempt to suppress the resentment brewing among women voters. Assembly elections are due in the coming days in 5 states including Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Mizoram. After some more months, Assembly polls in Odisha and some other states will be held along with the Lok Sabha elections.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, “Provision has been made to provide 12 LPG cylinders per year at subsidised rates. Odisha will get 5 lakh new connections. Women from the state are with PM Narendra Modi.”
