HUBBALLI: Union minister of State for petroleum and natural gas, Dharmendra Pradhan, on Saturday welcomed the Mukhya Mantri Anila Bhagya scheme, to be launched soon by the Karnataka government and rubbished rumours of a conflict between the Centre and the State on the issue.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Dharmendra Pradhan appreciated the State's move and said there was no confusion or conflict between the two governments.
“The Central scheme is for those listed under the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011, while the State will provide gas connections for those left out of the list. According to information, Karnataka has 36 lakh beneficiaries under SECC and around 6 lakh beneficiaries have got a gas connection till date. The remaining 30 lakh beneficiaries will get it at the earliest, and we will spend Rs 2,00 crore for this,” he said.
Meanwhile, food and civil supplies minister U T Khader said they would be spending Rs 2,940 on each beneficiary to provide a cylinder, regulator, rubber tube as well as an LPG stove free of cost.
The State has targeted to reach out to over 21 lakh households and the State programme was expected to kick off in a couple of months.
Speaking on Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) terminating Bihar health minister Tej Pratap Yadav's petrol pump license, Dharmendra Pradhan said, “It is not a political move, the dealer might have obtained the license by providing false information. The officials of BPCL might have noticed it later and investigated the allegations. They have found out that rules were violated by the dealer and the corporation terminated the license.”