The timing of the Union government’s decision to increase the price of diesel and put a cap on subsidised LPG cylinders makes the whole affair clearly suspect. It came at a time when the entire session of parliament was washed out by the demand of the opposition for the resignation of the Prime Minister over the coal scam. The government was embarrassed and soon afterwards announced its decisions on diesel and LPG knowing fully well that there would be a backlash. It was clearly banking on them to divert the attention of the nation. It was a master stroke by the Congress and it paid off.
Oil companies have worked out that a nuclear family of four (husband, wife and 2 children) requires one cylinder (14.2 kg capacity for domestic consumers) every 21 days. Going by this estimation, a family requires a minimum of 17 cylinders in a year. The government gives sops for industries and calls it a ‘concession’ and when this is given to the poor it derogatorily calls it a ‘subsidy.’ While the influential lobbies manage to get their dues, the have-nots have no one to fight their battles.
When the county won its freedom, it was decided that India would be a sovereign socialistic republic, and take care of its poor as well. As we are a welfare state, the benefits passed on to the poor are not doles but a rightful entitlement. When the disparity between the rich and poor has not come down at all, it is the responsibility of the government to take care of its citizens uniformly.
But the present UPA government led by the Congress seems to have lost its sensitivity to the sufferings of the ‘aam admi , it had promised to protect when it went to the hustings. If only the government could rein in the parallel economy based on black money everything else would fall into place. Unfortunately it is government policy which is in paralysis and not the fundamentals of our economy.
— The writer is managing trustee of Grahak Shakti, a non- profit organisation for protection of consumer rights.