Special drive to achieve 100% LPG connections in Odisha capital: Pradhan

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Jan 5:

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan today said a special drive would be launched to achieve 100% LPG connections in the Odisha capital.

Formally launching a programme by his ministry to provide BPL families with LPG connections with 100% subsidy for the next three months (Mar 31) in Saliasahi here today, the minister said, “The Union government is planning to introduce 1, 2, 3 and 4 KG cylinders so that the poor can afford it.”

Consumers can produce their BPL card or any other government authorized identity card to avail the scheme from the local distributors of nationalised oil distribution companies. To ensure smooth implementation of this scheme, nine outlets in Bhubaneswar and four in Cuttack have been opened for BPL families in the first phase, he said.

“The government would provide a subsidy of Rs 1600 and Rs 500 for 14.2 KG and 5 KG cylinders respectively for BPL consumers willing to procure them. The customers only need to pay for the gas refill and directly take their cylinders. These schemes will benefit the BPL families, students and lower middle class employees. It will also eradicate black-marketing of LPG cylinders and encourage usage of clean fuel,” said Pradhan.

Speaking on the issues of LPG consumers of Bhubaneswar, the minister added, “There are 3, 08, 000 families in Bhubaneswar as per 2011 census. However, only 2, 90, 000 of them have access to LPG. I have asked the nationalised distribution companies to take a call on the pending applications as soon as possible.”

After starting the scheme to distribute up to 34 five-kilo cylinders a year to consumers, the Union government is also considering making LPG cylinders available in Udyan Fresh, grocery stores and open market for consumers to buy it at market price.

Highlighting the achievements of the Modi government, Pradhan was all praise for the Jan Dhan Yojana, wherein poor citizens can open bank accounts and receive subsidies and government benefits directly on their account bypassing middlemen.

Addressing the concerns of the residents of Saliasahi, one of the largest slums of Bhubaneswar, the minister assured the audience that he would take the mayor of the city and local MLAs along with him and meet the Union Minister for Environment & Forest to sort out the matter of their land allotment.

It may be noted that the slum stands on forest land making it difficult for Odisha government to issue land ownership documents to residents without the clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) of Government of India.