Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Former Vice President Jusuf Kalla has admitted he bears a "moral responsibility" for the government`s program to replace kerosene with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in households.

Kalla said here Friday he felt morally responsible for the efforts to provide low-income people with LPG in three-kilogram cylinders because it was he who recommended the program to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono when he was still in office.

"I met with President Yudhoyono on Thursday, and one of the topics we discussed was the gas issue because it was my moral responsibility," Kalla said.

Kalla met with the President at the State Palace on Thursday to report on the progress of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) which he now heads. He also gave Yudhoyono inputs on how to overcome the present problems related to the kerosene-to-gas conversion program.

Kalla said, at the beginning, the kerosene-to-gas conversion program was the responsibility of the Yudhoyono-Kalla government but now it was the responsibility of the Yudhoyono-Boediono administration.

"We talked about the gas issue which used to be our shared responsibility but now he shares the responsibility with Boediono. Yet I also bear a moral responsibility," Kalla said.

Kalla said he gave a lot of inputs to President Yudhoyono at the meeting on Thursday about gas management. He maintained the recent gas related accidents had nothing to do with the kerosene-to--gas conversion program but with criminal acts and lack of control.

"The many explosions of three-kilogram gas cylinders lately happened not because the kerosene-to-gas conversion program was a mistake but because of criminal acts and lack of control," the former vice president said.

Kalla explained gas-related accidents did not only happen with three-kilogram cylinders but also with 12-kilogram cylinders, and this proved the accidents had nothing to do with the gas conversion policy.

"The important thing is that state oil company PT Pertamina should apply tighter control in the field because the gas cylinders belong to Pertamina. Therefore if there is a damaged tube, it is the responsibility of Pertamina," Kalla said. (*)