Omar surrenders two LPG connections

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today surrendered two 'extra' gas connections in his name, a day after a media report highlighted the issue.

"As promised two of the three LPG connections surrendered this morning," Omar wrote on social networking site Twitter today.

Reacting to the reports of having three active gas connections under his name, all of them in Srinagar, Omar had yesterday promised to surrender two of the three this morning.

"... Didn't realise I had 3 connections in my name. Will surrender 2 of those connections 1st thing tomorrow," Omar had tweeted yesterday.

The Chief Minister thanked the media for bringing this to his notice and expressed hope it will highlight more of those who have multiple connections.

"Thanks for bring(ing) this to my attention. I'm sure you'll be just as diligent in letting us know who else has multiple connections," Omar wrote on Twitter.

The state is currently struggling with a massive LPG shortage and has seen protests over the issue in the past couple of months.

The LPG crisis had dominated the proceedings of the recently-concluded autumn session of the state Assembly where opposition parties demanded that the cap on cylinders should be relaxed.

The government had responded by saying this would put an enormous strain on the financial resources of the cash-strapped state.

However, the state government has requested the Centre to increase the number of subsidised cylinders for Jammu and Kashmir in view of the harsh winters.