Tribune News Service,New Delhi, December 28

The government today decided to stop giving LPG subsidy to the affluent by making consumers with taxable income of more than Rs 10 lakh a year ineligible.“The government has decided that consumers with taxable income above Rs 10 lakh per year will not get LPG subsidy from January 2016,” said Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in a tweet.“This is as per policy of present government that subsidy shall only be given to poor people who need it the most,” he wrote in another tweet. So far, 57.50 lakh consumers have opted out of subsidy voluntarily as part of the “GiveItUp” campaign of the government. Several corporate houses, celebrities and others had announced they would give up their subsidy.As on August 3, those opting out of the subsidy in Punjab stood at 46,858, Haryana 46,881 and Chandigarh 2,858.There are currently 16.35 crore LPG consumers in the country. With the implementation of the PAHAL scheme (Direct Benefit Transfer of LPG), the subsidy is being transferred directly to the bank accounts of 14.78 crore consumers.The government said while many consumers have given up subsidy voluntarily, it is felt consumers in the higher income bracket should get LPG cylinders at the market price.Fixing the threshold, the government has decided that the benefit of subsidy will not be available for consumers if the consumer or his/her spouse had taxable income of more than Rs 10 lakh during the previous financial year computed as per the Income Tax Act, 1961. This would be done initially on a self-declaration basis.“In keeping with the approach of trusting the citizens, this will be given effect initially on a self-declaration basis while booking cylinders from January,” a Petroleum Ministry statement said.The consumer has to declare that he/she does not have taxable income of more than Rs 10 lakh to avail of the subsidy.Those who gave it up

Punjab 46,858

Haryana 46,881

Chandigarh 2,858

Total (India) 57.5 lakh