Rationing of LPG cylinders

Shiban Khaibri
Now, we are required to use one LPG cylinder for every two months or six at the most in a year and pay the non subsidized price for an extra one, if required. For many years, we had been listening to the explanatory rhetoric from the government each time it raised the prices of the oft burdened petrol, about how the government was providing cost benefit to the people indirectly by affording subsidy on LPG, besides diesel and kerosene.
No one would, however, dispute that to get the economy out from the state of dormancy, declining growth rate and in particular sky rocketing prices of the essential commodities, certain measures even if appearing to be somewhat bitter,  were needed to be taken. Again, the slew of measures under the reform agenda that the present dispensation has in its quiver, limited in size though, but fit to accommodate   reforms of a particular type or size only, were a final remedy to the economic ills of our country, is all debatable in the light of the Indian conditions. Among the recently announced such measures, includes a cap on the number of LPG cylinders used by an average Indian family.
The rise in diesel and limiting gas cylinders has evoked wide protests throughout the country so much so that even UPA2’s ally DMK and more importantly both the Samajwadi Party and Bahajan Samajwadi Party also took active and passive part in protests recently against the government “calling” for a roll back. Needless to mention, both these parties with 22 and 21 seats in Lok Sabha respectively, are extending outside support to UPA2 “on principles”. Various questions are cropping up after   political critics analyze the whole gamut of these reforms which have been taken by the government because, “we must act before people lose confidence in our economy.” Is it a belated reaction to the series of critical comments passed against the Prime Minister in foreign media terming him even an “under- achiever” against which very strangely, an official protest too was lodged which could have been avoided? Were comments, suggestions, concerns and even solutions presented by cross sections of the economic, political and media fraternity across the country to act on required lines all the time conveniently ignored? Is the timing of these reforms right and what had the government being doing all the time for over three years? Was UPA2’s time and priorities expended on non priority areas including being too much boggled in 2G scam preceded by Aadarsh  and followed by CWG and now coalgate and other massive scams? The confidence needs to be restored not only in the economy, fears about which, were expressed by the PM and rightly so, in his recent televised address, but in the prowess of administrative mechanism where professionalism must outstrip and outpace petty politics. We have seen a bit of such politics being played in respect of the LPG cylinders as well following the recent rationing of their supply to the people.
Why is it that only Congress ruled states should allow 9 instead of 6 cylinders on subsidized rates and not those ruled  by non Congress ones? “We have been voted to office twice to protect the interests of the “Aam Aadmi” and we must ensure that the economy grows rapidly”, says the Prime Minister, but this protection seems discriminatory in as much as it does not encompass the “Aam Aadmi” fortunately or unfortunately living in non Congress ruled states. The UPA Chairperson and Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi has asked the Congress ruled states to allow 9 subsidized LPG cylinders to people living there. As such states like Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Andhra, Assam  etc; will give 3 extra subsidized cooking gas cylinders for every family due to which ostensibly the government and the main ruling party are supposed to be at odds inter – se and working against the spirit of the reforms agenda. Congress ruled Delhi has started working in this process. Even a few Congress leaders had strongly sought a roll back as they had to face their respective constituencies very soon. Among such leaders include K. V Thomas, Harish Rawat, Vir Bhadra Singh and the like.  An ordinary citizen would see in it some politics to nurse a feeling among non Congress ruled people, that by not having voted for the Congress, they stood to lose an amount of Rs.2400 per annum. Indirectly, this could also be inferred as an inducement to mould and influence the voters’ choice for the future elections and at the outset, assembly elections of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. Where from shall this largesse of revenue under recovery be met excepting from the pockets of the people themselves, robbing Peter and paying Paul?  It is feared that introduction of such measures contributed to making hazy, the direction of the economic policy of this country.
Is it not economical for the country not to allow a costly subsidy of Rs.33 on each litre of kerosene and instead provide gas connection to such families using kerosene? A simple arithmetic calculation proves the point, as hypothetically, if a family per day uses only one litre of kerosene, it would cost the economy in terms of subsidy an amount of Rs. 1000 per family per month and if cooking gas was made available to them, both the family as well as the government could do monetary saving.
We nevertheless know about the oft repeated clarification of the Prime Minister, while accounting for the bad shape of the economy especially the havoc wrought in the life of the “Aam Aadmi” due to spiraling inflation that “I have no magic band in my hands” or the alibi over used that “we have the compulsions of the coalition politics coming in the way of taking strong decisions.” Have the compulsions of coalition politics gone now after the exit of TMC? The government seems now concerned to take care of fiscal deficit by not allowing it to show an upward trend for which it is imperative that administrative avoidable expenditures are curtailed; wastages and delays in decision making process controlled. Why then is it planning to spend crores of Rupees in propagating about its achievements and performances? Window dressings are economic wastages.

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