Congress MPs plan to mount pressure on the government to raise the number of subsidized LPG cylinders from 9 to 12 annually ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
The party MPs from various states are scheduled to meet Petroleum Minister M Veerappa Moily tomorrow to place their demand.
A senior minister also said there is a feeling in the party that the present ceiling on 9 LPG cylinders should be raised.
Congress leaders have been demanding a raise in the LPG cylinder quota in different internal meetings of the party including the one held by Rahul Gandhi recently. The top leadership of the party appears to be in support of the demand.
The leaders, who will meet Moily tomorrow, include two MPs from Delhi Sandeep Dikshit and Mahabal Mishra, Lok Sabha member from Maharashtra Sanjay Nirupam, party spokesperson P C Chacko and Bharatpur MP Ratan Singh from Rajasthan, party sources said.
The government of India had in September 2012 decided to restrict the number of subsidized cooking gas to 6 for each household per year.
The decisioin was met with much opposition and nationwide protests. Some of the Congress MPs had also protested against this "unreasonable" cap in the internal party meetings. They had also approached the party high command over the issue.
In April last year, the central government increased the quota of subsidized LPG cylinders from six to nine for each household annually.
There have been conflicting reports since then on whether the government will enhance the quota for subsidized cooking gas cylinders from nine to 12 or not despite demands within the Congress foras.
Sources said the MPs are likely to demand some "concrete steps" from the Petroleum Ministry to provide succour to people belonging to lower income brackets and immediately increase the number subsidized LPG cylinders.
