Mamata on offensive over hike in non-subsidised LPG

Kolkata  : School children might have to go without mid-day meals, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Thursday, a day after the hike in the price of non-subsidised cooking gas cylinders.

“Now the real impact of restriction of subsidised LPG cylinder is unfolding,” she said.

“Common people have been burdened with additional Rs.127 per cylinder. The price is likely to go up further in the coming months,” Banerjee posted on Facebook.

“The Central Government has never thought about the fate of poor school children provided with mid-day meal. There is a fear that these school children may have to go without food in schools, due to enormous increase in price of non-subsidized LPG cylinder,” she said.

Terming the decision to cap the supply of subsidised LPG cylinders to six per year as “unethical and immoral”, she accused the government of “looting in the name of reforms” and said her protest will continue.

“Is it what the common people expect from reforms? In the name of reforms, loot chalche loot. To suppress it, jhoot chalche jhoot. The decisions are unethical and immoral. I’m told that more such unpleasant decisions are in the offing. Let us remain together and protest,” read the post.

State-owned oil companies have hiked price of non-subsidised cooking gas (LPG) by Rs.127 per cylinder on account of an increase in international oil prices.

File Photo  : AFP