Will PM assure that LPG cylinder price will not go up if BJP comes to power again, asks Chidambaram

Chennai: Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister P Chidambaram said on Saturday that he welcomed the Centre’s announcement to reduce the LPG cylinder price by Rs 100 but said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should assure that the price will not be increased if his party comes to power again.

Also, he sought to know if there was any budgetary provision for over Rs 5.90 lakh crore projects including Rs 17,300 crore projects for Tamil Nadu announced by the prime minister in a fortnight’s time from February 22.

Speaking to reporters at Satyamurthy Bhavan, the Congress state headquarters here, Chidambaram said his party leader Rahul Gandhi has given five guarantees to the nation ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, and that these will translate into poll assurances in the party’s election manifesto.

The guarantees include: An assurance on recruitment to eliminate the unemployment problem in the country by filling up nearly 30 lakh vacancies in the Central government, Right to Apprenticeship Law for the benefit of diploma holders and graduates, a new legislation to stop question paper leak for government jobs, social security for “Gig economy” workers involved in informal jobs, and capital support for the youth to start ventures on their own.

"These will be fulfilled if the alliance led by the Congress comes to power in the Lok Sabha election," Chidambaram, who heads the party’s poll manifesto committee, said.

Elaborating on the assurances, he said the legislation on question paper leak would also ensure monetary compensation to the victims besides trial in fast-track courts to punish the offenders.

When sought for his reaction to the prime minister’s announcement on International Women’s Day to slash the domestic gas cylinder price by Rs 100, Chidambaram replied, "I welcome the reduction. But Modi should assure that he will not increase the price if his party comes to power again." He slammed the prime minister for not implementing the poll assurances on reducing the prices of fuel, ensuring two crore jobs to the youth and depositing Rs 15 lakh into the bank accounts of the people.

"From February 22 to March 7, the prime minister had announced over Rs 5.90 lakh crore projects for the country including Rs 17,300 crore for Tamil Nadu. I don’t find any mention of these in the Union Budget. These announcements are like jasmine flowers and paper flowers," Chidambaram said.

To a question, he replied that the BJP-led government at the Centre had done precious little on addressing the unemployment problem. 'The Agnipath scheme will be abolished and the previous system of recruitment to the armed forces will be restored, if the Congress regains power at the Centre,' the Congress leader said.