Harsimrat’s free LPG sop against rules: Agencies
Friday, 23/12/2016
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/harsimrat-s-free-lpg-sop-against-rules-agencies/340587.html
Faridkot : The directions of Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal to provide the first LPG-filled cylinder free of cost to the beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) have stirred a controversy.
While the Union Minister has asked the district administration to blacklist the gas agencies that are charging money for the first cylinder from the women getting new LPG connections under PMUY, the gas agency dealers claimed the minister’s direction contravenes the orders issued by Department of Social Security and Women and Child Development, Punjab.
In a meeting convened by the LPG Dealers Federation today here, the gas agency owners claimed that as per the directions issued by the Social Security Department, the beneficiary has to pay Rs 600-650 (as per market rates) for the gas (in the cylinder) to the distributors.
The subsidy on this LPG will be transferred to the beneficiaries’ bank account directly by the oil companies subsequently.
The dealers also distributed the copies of the orders — dated December 5 — at the meeting today.
As per the PMUY in the state, an LPG connection is released to the eligible beneficiary under the Union government sponsored PMUY scheme free of cost.
The state government is bearing the cost of the LPG stoves. The state government has already released Rs 50 crore to the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) for the purchase of 7 lakh LPG stoves.
However, the beneficiaries of PMUY in the state have to pay the price for the LPG, claimed the dealers, quoting the letter of the Social Security Department.
On Wednesday, Harsimrat Kaur Badal reportedly told the Muktsar district administration to blacklist the LPG agencies that were charging for the LPG in the first cylinder.
Atinder Kaur, district food and supply controller, Faridkot, said the department has not received any directions to provide free LPG in the first cylinder so far.
In the meeting convened here, the LPG dealers said the new directions by Harsimrat were creating confusion in the absence of any written orders.
After the statement by the minister, beneficiaries are demanding free LPG. This has landed us in an awkward situation, said Sunil Jain, Gurwinder Singh, Jaspal Singh and Dilbag Singh, some of the gas agency owners, at the meeting today
