Barely two months for Assembly polls, Gujarat governement announces free two gas cylinders under PMUY

The government also slashed VAT (Value Added Tax) on CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) and PNG (Piped Natural Gas) by 10%

Ahead of Assembly elections barely two months away, the Gujarat government on Monday announced to give two cooking gas cylinders free of cost under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) to the beneficiaries. The move is likely to benefit about 38 lakh families in the state going to polls in barely two months, dates for which are likely to be announced anytime soon. The relief would cost about Rs 1,650 crore to the public exchequer.

The government also slashed VAT (Value Added Tax) on CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) and PNG (Piped Natural Gas) by ten per cent, making them cheaper by nearly Rs 7 per kg and Rs 6 per kg respectively. The opposition Congress said that "the BJP government which increased the CNG price 14 times in the past seven months was forced to take the decision in view of its imminent defeat".

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Terming the government's decision "historic", Jitu Vaghani, the state education minister, who is also the spokesman of state government, said that " these two very important decisions will directly affect the poor, working and middle class families and give them a huge relief. It is a Diwali for them from the government."

Vaghani also informed that about 20,000 beneficiaries of LPG/PNG Sahay Yojna, an extension of Ujjwala Yojna, will be able to get refunds directly in their bank accounts after paying Rs 1,050 for gas cylinders.

Reacting to the announcement, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee chief spokesperson Manish Doshi termed the relief as "meager" and said that under "BJP rule people from all sections are facing difficulties due to highest unemployment and inflation in the past several decades." Doshi said, "People of Gujarat have decided to teach the BJP a lesson which is being witnessed in BJP's Gaurav Yatra facing protests."

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"The BJP, which imposed GST on parathas, is robbing the common and middle class. First, they increased the price of CNG from Rs 50 per kg to Rs 90 per kg and now giving relief of Rs 5. Similarly, a gas cylinder that used to cost Rs 414 a few years back now costs 1,060. The announcement of relief is nothing but betrayal."

Political analysts believe that "giving free cylinders and slashing VAT is nothing but freebies" to people to garner votes since Assembly polls are barely two months away. They said that the popularity of "freebies" promised by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party including "free electricity, education, unemployment allowances", has left the BJP threatened. Even on Monday, Kejriwal repeated his "guaranteed promises" to people in his rallies in north Gujarat cities including Unjha in Mehsana and Deesa in Banaskantha, which were said to have drawn good response.

The decision also comes in wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioning against "revadi culture" or freebies to garner votes. As a matter of fact, BJP leaders have been mocking Kejriwal for running his poll campaign around "freebie".