LPG price cut: PM Modi, BJP leaders say gift to women on Raksha Bandhan

New Delhi: BJP leaders, including Union ministers, on Tuesday hailed the government's decision to slash cooking gas price by Rs 200 per cylinder, saying it is a gift from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to women on Onam and Raksha Bandhan.

The festival of Raksha Bandhan is about "increasing happiness within the family" and this reduction will help provide more comfort to sisters and mothers in making their life easier, Prime Minister Modi said in a post in Hindi on 'X'.

The government on Tuesday announced a Rs 200 per cylinder cut in prices of domestic cooking gas. Currently, a 14.2-kg LPG cylinder in the national capital costs Rs 1,103 -- more than double the rate it came for in May 2020. It will cost Rs 903 when the decision is implemented from Wednesday.

For Ujjwala beneficiaries, the price will be Rs 703 after considering the continuing Rs 200 per cylinder subsidy.

"The festival of Raksha Bandhan is about increasing happiness within the family. The reduction in gas prices will provide more comfort to sisters in my family and make their life easier. May every sister of mine be happy and healthy, this is my wish from God," Modi said on 'X'.

Announcing the decision taken by the Union Cabinet, a day ahead of Raksha Bandhan, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said the move is aimed at providing relief to households.

Calling it a "drastic" cut in the price of LPG cylinder, BJP president JP Nadda said the Narendra Modi government's decision will benefit 33 crore consumers.

"Heartfelt gratitude for the decision taken by the Cabinet under the chairmanship of respected Prime Minister Narendra Modi to drastically cut the price of cooking gas," Nadda said in a post on 'X'.

Now, Ujjwala beneficiaries will get LPG at Rs 700 and all other consumers at Rs 900, he said.

Nadda said, "Modi ji's gift to 'nari shakti' on the auspicious occasion of Raksha Bandhan." This decision of the prime minister will benefit 33 crore consumers across the country, he added.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Modi for approving the subsidy on cooking gas cylinders.

"Modi ji has approved a subsidy of Rs 200 on domestic cylinders for the mothers and sisters of the country on the auspicious occasion of Raksha Bandhan and Onam. With this decision, the total subsidy of gas cylinder available under Ujjwala Yojana will now be Rs 400," Shah said in a post in Hindi on 'X'.

"This will provide relief to the public from the rising inflation due to the changing global scenario. Along with this, the Cabinet has also approved 75 lakh new Ujjwala connections, which will give freedom to poor and needy mothers from the curse of smoke. Heartfelt gratitude to PM @narendramodi ji for these public welfare decisions," he said.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman thanked Prime Minister Modi for the Rs 200 cut in the price of cooking gas.

"Marking Onam today and Raksha Bandhan 2023, Cabinet takes a decision to slash the price by Rs 200 for all domestic cooking gas cylinders," Sitharaman said in a post on 'X'.

"Thanks Hon'ble PM Shri Narendra Modi for giving this 'Sneha Upahar' to your sisters and mothers on this occasion," the finance minister added.

Union minister Thakur said Prime Minister Modi has given a gift to the millions and millions of sisters and the users of LPG cylinders. The price of LPG cylinder for domestic use has been brought down by Rs 200 per cylinder, he said.

"At the same time, 75 lakh new gas connection will be given under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana that will take the total connections to 10.35 crores. Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala gas beneficiaries are already getting Rs 200 subsidy on each refill and they will also be benefitted by the decrease in the rate that means they will get cylinder at Rs 400 less," Thakur said.

Union Minister Smriti Irani hailed government's decision to reduce the price of domestic cooking gas and thanked the prime minister.

"I thank PM Modi on behalf of all the sisters of our country. He has given a gift to 33 crore families by reducing the LPG cylinder price by Rs 200. However, it is notable that 9.60 crore sisters were already getting a refill of Rs 200 per cylinder as part of Ujjwala Yojana, up to 12 cylinders. So, poor families under the scheme have received a gift of Rs 400," she said.

"On the eve of Raksha Bandhan, Prime Minister Modi gave a gift to 33 crore sisters of the country," Irani told PTI. The price of domestic gas cylinder becoming cheaper by Rs 200 is "no less than a 'rakhi ka shagun' for the sisters", she said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, "It is a historic and welcome decision by the Union Cabinet under the leadership of PM Modi" and called it a gift to sisters ahead of Raksha Bandhan.

In a post in Hindi on X, Adityanath said, "In order to make the life of the common man comfortable and pleasant, under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji, today the Central Cabinet has taken a commendable decision to reduce the price of domestic gas cylinder by Rs 200 and provide 75 lakh new gas connections under 'Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana'."

"Thank you Prime Minister on the behalf of crores of mothers and sisters of the state for giving the gift on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, the festival of affection," the CM said.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on the auspicious occasion of Onam and Raksha Bandhan, Prime Minister Modi has given a gift to his sisters by reducing LPG cylinder price by Rs 200. He said around 75 lakh new beneficiaries will be added to the Ujjwala scheme.

Hailing the decision, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, "the government has given a gift to the poor and middle class by reducing the prices of domestic gas cylinders by Rs 200 and giving a subsidy of Rs 400 to Ujjwala beneficiaries".