BENGALURU: The Petroleum Ministry has raised objections to the modalities of Mukhya Mantri Anila Bhagya Yojane (MMABY) meant to provide free gas connection to BPL families announced by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The scheme is all set for launch in the second week of February.
In an official communication to Principal Secretary to state Food and Civil Supplies Department, the Joint Secretary of Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry insisted that MMABY be implemented through oil marketing companies (OMC) to avoid duplication of connections.
The letter comes following the state’s decision to implement the scheme directly through LPG distributors — a move which has irked the Ministry. A copy of the letter from the Petroleum Ministry dated February 01, 2018, which is available with The New Indian Express reads, “I am directed to refer to this Ministry’s earlier letters, where the state government was requested to implement MMABY through OMCs using their software platform. However, no response has been received from the government.”
It also highlights about the letters issued directly to LPG distributors by the state government and also raises objections for inviting certain selected distributors for the meeting at the district level. “Instant steps of the state government are not in accordance with the express communication of the Ministry. The implementation of MMABY in the current format may lead to avoidable chaos and other implementation issues. It is, therefore, requested that the MMABY may please be implemented through OMCs in line with the approved modalities and the letters of this Ministry,” added the letter.
The Ministry has raised several issues in its communications dated December 27, 2017, and January 24. Speaking to Express, a senior official from the Ministry said, “Our concern is to avoid duplication. If the distribution is through OMCs, then, they will do a de-duplication process as our Ujjwala connections are based on Aadhaar and one-kitchen,one-connection basis.The state government is sending letters signed by the CM to beneficiaries and identifying them based on BPL cards which is not accepted as the state has issues with BPL cards itself,” the official added.
The Ministry has highlighted the fact that the state government had not accepted the proposal given by the Ministry to extend the connection charges under MMABY to `1,600. “This would have saved the state `340 per connection. Now, it will cost the state exchequer `15.30 crore.”
However, the officials at the state Food and Civil Supplies Department are defending the implementation modalities adopted for MMABY. Pankaj Kumar Pandey, Principal Secretary to the department said, “The common man approaches the agency for a connection and not the OMCs. The government wants to follow the same procedure with the cost of gas connection and refill paid to the gas agency by state government instead of the applicant.
I don’t see any logic in the Government of India insisting on going through OMCs. Further, there is no visibility of OMCs at the district level and it will be difficult for the applicant to find out what has happened to his/her application.” He also clarified that the OMCs have linked gas connections with Aadhaar.