At meeting,DMK says double LPG cylinder cap

Briefing on the deliberations,Finance Minister P Chidambaram said: We reviewed the situation following the number of decisions announced in the last 10 days

Two days after the Congress Working Committee backed the governments recent decisions on FDI in multi-brand retail,diesel price hike and cap on subsidised LPG,the ruling UPA Thursday endorsed the same,even as the DMK exhorted the Centre to go for gradual increases in diesel prices instead of going for a steep hike in one go.

At the UPA Coordination Committee meeting here,senior DMK leader T R Baalu was also learnt to have said that the government should consider increasing the cap on subsidised LPG cylinders from 6 to 12 per household per annum. DMK had earlier organised a bandh against the diesel price hike and LPG cap on September 20.

Briefing on the deliberations,Finance Minister P Chidambaram said: We reviewed the situation following the number of decisions announced in the last 10 days. There was general satisfaction that many of the steps taken by the government,though some of them would put a burden on the people,have been welcomed by stakeholders as necessary and unavoidable. We thank the people for their understanding. He said the need to do more reforms was discussed but no specific reform measure like FDI in insurance or pension was discussed.

The PM underlined the need for a number of measures that will ensure that there is no volatility in the rupee and investments continue to flow into India as well as stimulate domestic investors so they would also invest in the economy, said Chidambaram. He replied in the affirmative when asked if reforms would continue.