The State Cabinet has decided to raise the number of subsidised cooking gas cylinders to nine across the BPL-APL categories of consumers.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said that the decision was taken on the basis of a recommendation made by a meeting of the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF).
ADDITIONAL OUTGO
It is expected that the decision to lift the cap of LPG refills from six to nine would entail an additional expenditure Rs 120 crore.
The Centre had earlier fixed the number to six through an announcement that came towards the close of the first half of the fiscal year.
This meant that every household could only look forward to getting three subsidised LPG cylinders in the remaining six months.
The Centre had also made it clear that f any consumer required additional LPG refills above the six fixed by it, he or she would have to pay the prevailing market rate.
USAGE PATTERN
Later, the Congress party decided that consumers in States ruled by the party would get nine subsidised LPG refills every year.
Chandy clarified that raising of the cap to nine refills would be subject to the pattern of usage in the previous year.
If a family had actually used seven or eight cylinders in 2010-11, they would not get nine LPG refills in 2011-12.
The maximum one house can hope to get would depend on last year's usage but none will get more than nine, Chandy added.