-PTI HYDERABAD: Cash-starved Andhra Pradesh government is finding it tough to honour the Congress high command's directive on increasing the subsidised LPG quota from six to nine cylinders per family a year. The government, that is surviving by selling its securities every month to raise funds, is not in a position to foot the additional subsidy bill on LPG, sources said. Preliminary estimates suggest that the state government will have to bear a...

-The Economic Times The government's decision to cap supply of subsidised cooking gas cylinders to six a year would be difficult to implement and encourage black marketing, oil industry officials said.   There could be an opportunity to divert cheaper cylinders from customers whose yearly consumption is less than six refills, industry officials said. According to the oil ministry 44% of consumers take six cylinders or less in a year. All India LPG Distributors...

-The Hindustan Times In the face of public outrage over a series of unpopular fiscal steps such as hike in diesel prices and cap on LPG, the government plans to come out with two feel-good initiatives — the food security bill and health cover for all. The UPA’s flagship National Food Security Bill would give 67% of the population (nearly 800 million people) a legal right to foodgrains at less than half the...

-The Hindu Financial burden has to be assessed before scheme is extended to higher income groups: Chandy Consequent on the Congress party’s core committee recommendation to raise the number of subsidised LPG cylinders from six to nine a year, the Kerala government on Wednesday announced that the additional three subsidised cylinders would be targeted at the BPL (below the poverty line) category on the basis of the consumption pattern in 2011-12. Addressing a...

-The Indian Express The government may consider “minor adjustments” on the LPG cylinder cap in the wake of pressure from within the Congress and Trinamool Congress's decision to withdraw support to the UPA. Sources said while there is no question of rollback of the government's decision to put a cap on the number of subsidized cylinders, the government was ready for minor adjustments on it and can increase the total number of...