Mangalore: District in-charge minister B. Ramanath Rai said that the district administration has initiated the process of declaring Mangalore a kerosene-free city and is ready to provide domestic gas connection to households at a subsidised price. With this, Mangalore will be the first city in the state to go kerosene free, he said.
Addressing reporters in the DC’s office on Tuesday, September 16, the minister said that in the first phase, the provision will apply to those households which come under the Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) and Ullala town municipal.
The minister said that Mangalore is the first to initiate the programme. He said most developed countries do not use kerosene. “It’s harmful to health and the environment”, he added.
A note circulated at the press meet stated that the population under the Mangalore City Corporation and Ullala Town municipal is 5,75,000. Of the total 73,465 ration card holders, as many as 19,781 families come under BPL and AAY. Among the BPL card holders, nearly 12,000 families already have gas connections. If 7,500 families shift to gas connections, MCC and Ullala will be kerosene free cities, it stated.
The Deputy Commissioner said that the BPL cardholders have to approach Mangalore City Corporation where officials will arrange for them to get gas connections using the funds available with the corporation for the welfare of SCs/STs (22.75%), families from economically weaker section of society (7.25%) and those with disabilities (3%). Those in Ullal should approach the Ullal Town Municipal Council.
To those households who don’t come under these categories, he said the district administration has made arrangement for bank loans. The SCDCC bank is ready to pay Rs 4,000 for each household with a monthly installment facility of Rs 200.
Besides, he said that the department of Food and Civil Supplies will stop issuing kerosene to fair price shops for the ration card holders after providing gas connections.
Special camps
To simplify the process of applying for the gas connections, the district administration will organize a special camp on October 8-9 and 18-19, in places such as Lal Bagh, Surathkal, Kavoor and Ullal. Each camp will have representatives from the Food and Civil Supplies Department, bank and gas distributors. With this, the district administration is contemplating to provide gas connections to all the households and declare the city as kerosene free on November 1.
The public can contact 1072, or 0824-2220571 for further information.
