J&K may also give extra subsidised cooking gas cylinders: Minister

Jammu  :  After Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s announcement that the Congress-ruled states would raise the subsidised LPG cylinder cap from six to nine, Jammu and Kashmir, where the party shares power with the National Conference, may also follow suit, a state minister said Saturday.

“The decision has to be taken by the state cabinet, which would take up the matter once the final decision is made by the Government of India,” Minister for Consumers Affair and Public Distribution (CAPD) Qamar Ali Akhoon told IANS.

“I personally feel that even Jammu and Kashmir should give three extra cooking gas cylinders to consumers,” Akhoon added.

The central government last week capped the number of subsidised cooking gas cylinders to six per consumer annually. However, after countrywide protests against the decision, Gandhi asked the Congress-ruled states to give three extra subsidised cylinders per household.

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) companies are soon going to start the process of verification of consumers of cooking gas connections.

“Only one connection will be allowed to a consumer,” an official of Indian Oil Corporation said.