Daijiworld Media Network - Byndoor (SP)

Byndoor, Jul 5: Deputy commissioner of the district, Priyanka Mary Francis, has called for a meeting of LPG distributors from the district for pooling together information about illegal connections given in the district under Prime Minister's Ujjwala scheme. She wants to put together information about the progress achieved in implementing this ambitious scheme of the central government, and also about frauds if any. The deputy commissioner has undertaken this initiative as irregularities under the scheme were found at Brahmavar. She feels that it is up to the companies concerned to keep check over irregularities as their reputations will be at stake.

The BPL cardholders have been advised to visit their LPG distributors and confirm about the LPG connections sanctioned under their cards to others if any. Alternatively they can call phone number 9964169554 and provide name, name of the gas agency, village, and telephone number to get information.

It is said that about 70 percent of gas connections granted in Brahmavar region under the said scheme are irregular. The dealers now say that such things do not happen now as the government has made it mandatory to obtain Adhar card numbers of all the family members. Some dealers say that the government had sent them names based on survey undertaken in 2011 and that there is a possibility of the same name appearing in the list more than once. It is said that as nodal officers have been appointed for implementing this scheme by the central government, state government officials do not interfere with this, and some agencies are misusing this opportunity.

In a few cases, inspectors of food and civil supplies department have visited LPG distributors and obtained lists of beneficiaries under this scheme. It is gathered that all the agencies have provided gas connections under the said scheme for all the consumers listed by the government.

Food and civil supply department officials have stated that so far no report of irregular connections have been received in Dakshina Kannada district. A total of 4,922 applications are pending scrutiny, it is learnt.