Over 80 lakh households have given up LPG subsidy: Pradhan

More than 80 lakh households have given up LPG subsidy under the ‘Give it Up’ scheme, as of March 3,

2016, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said.The ‘Give it Up’ campaign is part of the government’s

endeavour to reduce its LPG subsidy bill.

Under the scheme, LPG users who can afford to pay the market rate for the fuel are encouraged to give

up their subsidy. The government, on its part, has promised to use the savings from this to provide more

LPG connections to the unconnected.

“The response from LPG consumers to the ‘Give it Up’ campaign initiated by the Ministry to voluntarily

surrender subsidy is overwhelming and as on March 3, 2016, more than 80 lakh LPG consumers have

voluntarily surrendered subsidy on LPG.

“More than 53 lakh consumers have voluntarily surrendered subsidy on LPG in the last six months,” Mr.

Pradhan informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.“Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) are making

efforts to target the higher income group (taxable income of more than Rs.10 lakh) using technology and

available information… Consumers are also provided with on-line facility to declare their income and

submit their self-declaration in the prescribed form to distributors if the taxable income of self or

his/her spouse exceeds Rs.10 lakh,” Mr. Pradhan said.The ‘Give it Up’ campaign goes hand-in-hand with

the government’s Direct Benefit Transfer in LPG wherein the subsidy amount is directly transferred to

beneficiaries’ bank accounts, thereby reducing the scope for leakage.

NGS INDIA