Politics

UP CM Yogi Adityanath Criticizes Former Congress Government Over LPG Connection Fees

By Swati Gandhi

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath criticized the Congress‑led UPA government on Tuesday, claiming that during the previous administration people were forced to pay between ₹25,000 and ₹50,000 to obtain an LPG cooking gas cylinder connection. The remarks were made at a function in Lucknow where the state government distributed LPG refill subsidies to more than 1.89 crore beneficiaries. The UP government announced that eligible families under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana would receive one free LPG cylinder each on Diwali and Holi, with ₹1,500 crore allocated for subsidies on LPG cylinder refills.

Addressing the gathering, Yogi said, “Recall the time before 2014; under the Congress government, obtaining a cooking gas connection was an arduous struggle, and there were numerous difficulties. One would often have to pay as much as ₹25,000, ₹35,000, or even ₹50,000 in black money to get a single LPG connection.” He added that the current government has provided free gas connections to poor families and that this is good governance. Yogi described good governance as ensuring that the benefits of government schemes reach the people at the very last rung of the social ladder without discrimination, and that funds previously lost to bribery are now becoming savings for poor families.

Citing a recent World Bank report, the CM noted that roughly 46 crore people in the country have risen above the poverty line, enabling them to lead normal and prosperous lives. He compared the periods before and after 2014, highlighting unemployment, farmer suicides, starvation, and corruption scandals such as the Commonwealth Games scam, 2G spectrum scam, and coal scam during the Congress era, and praised the post‑2014 government for halting corruption.

Yogi also spoke about the situation in Uttar Pradesh before he became chief minister, noting that people struggled to protect their property and that unrest, riots, curfews, and chaos were common. He assured women that the double‑engine government is working to make them self‑reliant, ensure their safety, and protect their dignity and rights, and announced that a special package to promote women’s self‑reliance would soon be introduced.