Anil Ambani gives up LPG subsidy, urges 1 lakh workers to follow

Heeding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call, industrialist Anil Ambani has given up cooking gas subsidies and has urged his group's about 100,000 employees to follow suit.

Ambani joins a host of industry leaders, including Mukesh Ambani, Anand Mahindra, Anil Agarwal, Gautam Adani, Uday Kotak and Kishore Biyani, who have rallied behind Modi's call to well-to-do people to give up buying liquefied petroleum gas at below market price so as to help cut subsidy bill.

"As a mark of solidarity to this noble initiative, the leadership team of Reliance Group has already opted out of LPG subsidy," Ambani's Reliance Group wrote to its employees on Tuesday evening.

It appealed to employees, who can afford to buy LPG at market price, to ‘voluntarily join this moment and contribute to the cause of nation building.’

"We strongly believe that this is a great opportunity for all of us to make a humble contribution towards energy conservation, social equitability and improved utilisation of scarce natural resources," it wrote.

Modi had last month launched the 'Give-it-Up' campaign, nudging the well-to-do to give up LPG subsidies.

Over 300,000 people, including ministers, government and public sector officials and members of Parliament have given up using subsidised LPG.

While a subsidised cooking gas cylinder costs Rs 417 per 14.2-kg cylinder in Delhi, a marketed priced bottle of the same size comes for Rs 621.

Consumes are entitled to get 12 cylinders at the subdidised rate in a year.

In its letter to employees, the Group also detailed the procedure for giving up the use of subsidised LPG.

"Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi has undertaken several impactful steps to promote a more inclusive and equitable quality of life for all sections of the society.

“One such initiative is 'Give it Up', through which government is urging the economically well to do sections of the society to voluntarily give up use of subsidised LPG and buy at market price," it added.

Image: Anil Ambani; Photograph: Reuters