NEW DELHI: In a mix of populist and reform measures, government today raised the cap on supply of subsidized cooking gas (LPG) to nine cylinders per household from six and virtually deregulated diesel prices allowing “small” hikes over a period of time.
Diesel prices in all probability may be hiked by Rs 1.50-2.0 per liter in the first instance that can be as early as tonight following the decision taken by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The CCPA however left LPG and kerosene prices unchanged.
“The CCPA considered the issue of raising the cap from six to nine and the CCPA has agreed and raised the cap from six cylinders (per household in a year) to nine,” Oil Minister M Veerappa Moily told reporters here.
“As far as diesel is concerned, oil marketing companies have been authorized to make price correction from time to time,” he said. “It (price correction) can commence even from today.”
However, Finance Minister P Chidambaram maintained that the oil companies have been allowed to make “small correction … I am looking at same subsidy bill as was expected earlier”.
Administered diesel price has always been a sensitive issue with the fuel being consumed in large measure by public transport and freight carriers. It is always feared that any hike in its rates can lead to a cascading effect on prices.
Price of diesel was last revised on September 14 when it was hiked by a steep Rs 5.63 per liter. At present, diesel costs Rs 47.15 per liter in Delhi.
Subsidized LPG costs Rs 410.50 per 14.2-kg cylinder and any household requirement beyond the new limit of 9 cylinders will cost a near market price of Rs 895.50 per bottle. The government had in September capped the supply of subsidized cooking gas to six cylinders per household in a year, with a view to checking diversion to unintended beneficiaries.
However the decision met with widespread protests as only 44 per cent of population used six or less cylinders in a year.
With today’s decision, consumers will get five subsidized cylinders instead of the previously mandated three in the period up to March 31, 2013. From April 1, 2013 they will get nine cylinders in a year.
Moily said there will be no change in price of LPG and kerosene.
The increase in the LPG cap would mean an additional subsidy outgo of Rs 9,300 crore annually.
On diesel front, sources said the government has kept the quantum of hike and the timing a secret to avoid petrol pumps stopping sales to make quick profits.
Oil Secretary G C Chaturvedi said CCPA has authorized oil firms to make “small changes over a period of time”.
“There was no discussion on the quantum of price increase or the period over which these changes are to be effected. It has been left to the oil companies,” he said.
He, however emphatically stated that the government had not deregulated diesel prices. “If we are to deregulate, then diesel price will have to be raised by Rs 9.60 per liter, which is not the case. Only a small quantum of change has been permitted over a period of time.”
Asked if it was partial deregulation, he said “it wasn’t even partial deregulation.”
The government, he said, will continue to subsidies diesel, cooking gas and kerosene.
“The finance ministry will meet all of the under recoveries (loss),” he said.
State-owned oil companies sell diesel at a loss of Rs 9.60 per liter, kerosene at Rs 30.64 a liter and LPG at Rs 490.50 per 14.2-kg cylinder.
For the full 2012-13 fiscal, they are projected to lose about Rs 165,000 crore. -PTI
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