Fuelling Urban and Middle Class Kitchen and Gender(ed) dynamics of LPG Subsidy

Access to affordable and clean energy is key to the sustainable energy security of the nation. Local availability, perceive to be ‘cheap’ make biomass as preferred fuel for cooking in rural India. In order to reduce the reliance on biomass as fuel, government of India has been providing LPG/PNG at subsidised rate to its people. However almost in entirety LPG/PNG subsidies are cornered by the urban areas and rural rich. Analysis of data from Census of India 2011 reconfirms the above stated statement. There are spatial pockets of concentrated usage of LPG/PNG. Developed (relatively) states and urban India have benefited more than the Indo-gengetic belt, central tribal and hilly regions of India. Within urban India, million plus cities are biggest beneficiaries. By curtailing subsidy, government of India will be able to reduce the subsidy burden but is risking the marginal people (Women, urban poor, people and just above poverty line). Paper argues that there should be policy support to address the issue of indoor air pollution and transfer of cash should be made in the name of women rather than the head of the household. Alternatively government should promote and utilise the savings from LPG subsidy for renewable energy such as biogas, and solar energy.