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BPL (below poverty line) consumers in the State would be entitled to get three subsidised LPG cylinders above the universal cap of six fixed by the Centre.
The entitlement would be decided on the basis of the consumption pattern in 2011-12, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy announced here.
CONSUMPTION PATTERN
This was in response to a direction to Congress-ruled States to raise the number of subsidised cylinders to nine a year.
A BPL consumer who booked seven cylinders during the reference year of f2011-12 would be eligible for an additional subsidised cylinder.
The eligibility would two cylinders for a consumer who booked eight, and three for those who booked nine, the Chief Minister told newspersons here.
At least 17 lakh consumers booked seven to nine cylinders a year, he said, citing figures based on LPG consumption pattern in the State during 2011-12.
But Chandy admitted that the State Government was not sure how many of these belonged to the BPL category.
GETTING IT RIGHT
A rough calculation showed that subsidising supply of 36 lakh cylinders would entail a financial burden of Rs 120 crore a year.
The government would seek to get the numbers right and also assess the financial commitment before considering extension of the scheme to higher income group.
The objective of the scheme was to ensure there was a fair coverage of all sections including the middle class, the Chief Minister said.
Explaining the circumstances leading up to its announcement, he said Centre had announced a policy of limiting the supply of subsidised gas cylinders to six with a view to checking the subsidy outgo.
BURDEN TRANSFERRED
By doing so, it had put the burden on the State Government if it wanted to subsidise the additional three.
Of the total 70 lakh LPG consumers in the State, as much as 64.84 per cent is known to book an average six cylinders or below through the year.
Those who booked more than nine cylinders added up to 16 per cent while those who booked seven to eight cylinders made up for 19.22 per cent.
Further, the percentage of those who booked nine to 10 cylinders was 10.5 per cent; 11 to 12 cylinders, 3.76 per cent; and 12 cylinders and above, 1.08 per cent.
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