Unable to get an exemption for the cooking gas cylinders used for the Mid-Day Meal Scheme in the wake of a steep hike in the prices of domestic gas, Union Human Resource Minister Kapil Sibal has suggested that the Petroleum Ministry consider providing subsidised LPG cylinders for the current fiscal year.

“It might be preferable at this point to provide for subsidy as earlier for the LPG cylinders, instead of seeking approval for an increase in cooking cost which would necessitate revisiting allocation for the Mid-Day Meals Scheme and seeking Parliamentary approvals for the increased allocation,