Jhargram (WB):

West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on Thursday claimed that if the BJP returns to power at the Centre, the government would hike the price of cooking gas cylinder to Rs 2,000.

The chief minister was addressing a gathering at a government programme here in Jhargram district.

“If the BJP wins the elections, they may hike the price of a cooking gas cylinder to Rs 1,500 or Rs 2,000. Then again, we will have to go back to the old practice of collecting wood to light a fire,” Ms Banerjee said.

She also gave an ultimatum to the BJP-led central government to complete building houses under the Awas Yojana by April-end, claiming that otherwise her government would start constructing them from May.

On Tuesday, Ms Banerjee had set a deadline of April 1 for the central government to complete building houses for the beneficiaries or else her government would build around 11 lakh houses for them.

Referring to her government paying MGNREGA workers their due wages which were allegedly not paid by the BJP-led central government, Ms Banerjee said, “I asked one youth whether he got the money for the 100 days’ work scheme. He said he got around Rs 30,000. This was the amount that the central government had not paid people like him for the last two years. We have paid 59 lakh people their dues.”

The Trinamool Congress supremo, however, remained silent on the arrest of party leader Shajahan Sheikh, accused of sexual atrocities on women and land grab in Sandeshkhali area in North 24 Parganas district. Sheikh was arrested early on Thursday. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Representational image of a worker unloading LPG cylinders
| Photo Credit: PICHUMANI K

The Centre has increased subsidy for cooking gas cylinders for poor to ₹300 per unit from ₹200 announced in August, Information Minister Anurag Thakur said on Wednesday.

In August, the government reduced the price by ₹200 on a 14.2-kg cooking gas cylinder sold to 330 million households to rein in inflation ahead of crucial State and general elections.

It was not immediately clear how much the government will have to spend for the enhanced subsidy on cooking gas. The government was previously estimated to spend about ₹11,600 crore towards cooking gas subsidy in the current fiscal year that ends on March 31.

High inflation and the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are key issues for Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government ahead of elections in five States in the coming months and national elections in mid-2024.

India imports about 60% of its liquefied petroleum gas requirement, and LPG prices globally have surged over 300% since April 2020.