Can PM assure LPG prices will not go up again, asks PC

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 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.

“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 leaks 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.