The government on Friday said it would not increase the cooking gas and kerosene prices despite escalation in the prices globally.
"In the last Cabinet meeting, we have taken a conscious decision not to increase prices of kerosene and LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) despite the increase in their prices globally," Union Petroleum Minister Ram Naik said.
However, the LPG prices will not come down from the present, he said, adding that the LPG prices were about 50-60 per cent higher in the neighbouring countries, including Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh.
He said there was no waiting list of LPG connections and the government has given about 3.60 crore connections in the last four years against the 3.50 crore connections given in the preceding 40 years.
At present, there were about 96 lakh (9.6 million) LPG connections in Maharashtra, of which about 42 lakh (4.2 million) connections were given in the last four years, he said.
In view of the drought in the ten districts of Maharashtra the Petroleum Ministry has decided to provide free diesel to the 1900 tankers providing water to the drought affected areas for next three months.
Naik said the Research and Development Centre of the Indian Oil Corporation at Faridabad was working with the Prof Alka Zadgaonkar of G H Raisoni Engineering College of Nagpur for developing liquid fuel out of the plastic waste and would apply for joint patent if the results were encouraging.
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