Committee authorizes Prithviraj Chavan to decide cap on subsidised LPG cylinders

MUMBAI: The Congress-NCP co-ordination committee in Maharashtra today authorised Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan to take decision on increasing the cap on subsidised LPG cylinders from six to nine.

NCP state president Madhukar Pichad told reporters after the meeting of the committee that the issue of providing three additional subsidised cylinders was discussed. "We have decided that the proposal will be put before the Cabinet and decision will be taken at the earliest."

Pichad said NCP had already assured its full support to the chief minister on the issue.

According to the government, there are 1.71 crore LPG consumers in the state. If all categories were given three additional subsidised cylinders, the state government will have to shell out Rs 2,400 crore annually.

It was also decided at the meeting to urge the Centre to take decision on the transfer of Indu Mill land for the expansion of Dr Ambedkar's memorial here.

"AICC secretary Mohan Prakash and union ministers Praful Patel, Sharad Pawar and Sushilkumar Shinde will discuss how to bring up the issue before the Union Cabinet," he said.

Regarding allegations by Arvind Kejriwal that BJP president Nitin Gadkari was favoured in land allotment by NCP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Pichad said the issue did not come up at the meeting. "We do not take these allegations seriously," he said.

Chief Minister Chavan, Mohan Prakash, state Congress chief Manikrao Thakre, Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel and Pichad took part in the hour-long meeting.

Thakre said it was also demanded during the meeting that procurement centres be set up for cotton and soyabean, as the prices of these commodities had dropped.

This was the first meeting of the co-ordination committee after Ajit Pawar stepped down as Deputy Chief Minister following allegations of corruption.