LPG subsidy nil in Koro period, 29.6 per cent reduction in chemical fertilizers

New Delhi, Saturday 30 January 2021

During the April-November last year, subsidies on petroleum fell by 32 per cent during the Kovid-19 epidemic, according to an economic survey presented in Parliament on Friday. A total subsidy of Rs 20,000 crore has been given,

This is 32 per cent less than the subsidy of about Rs 30,000 crore given during the period 2019-20.

The government has also slashed subsidies on cooking gas and kerosene in major cities of the country. In Delhi, the prices of subsidized and unsubsidised gas cylinders have become the same, as in other cities in the country.

The budget for the financial year 2020-21 had targeted to subsidize petroleum products to the tune of Rs 41,000 crore, but not even half of it has been spent in the last eight months.

While food subsidy has also declined by 12 per cent, a subsidy of Rs 1.32 lakh crore was given between April 2019 and November 2019, while a food subsidy of Rs 1.16 crore was given in April-November 2020.

During the period, chemical fertilizers fell by 29.6 per cent to Rs 16,000 crore from Rs 22,000 crore, while urea subsidy fell by 1.8 per cent to Rs 50,000 crore from Rs 51,000 crore.