Udupi: ’Shobha yields to gas firms’ lobby’

DHNS

Udupi, 27 July 2011: Udupi Block Congress President Pramodh Madhwaraj alleged that Energy Minister Shobha Karandlaje has yielded to the lobby made by the private gas companies.

 

If ever a single case is filed against any gas connection claiming it as illegal, Congress will take up rigorous protest against the government action, he threatened.

 

Speaking to media persons here on Wednesday he said the motive behind Energy Minister’s decision is purely supporting private gas companies. As many as 20,000 gas connections in Udupi district have been cancelled, thereby putting nearly 80,000 people in trouble. About 30 per cent of the families in State are undergoing problems due to this new rule.

 

Universal rules and regulations are followed in the entire country but the new rule pertaining to LPG is introduced only in Karnataka. How can a woman create such nuisance to other women, he questioned and said the government is deaf towards public grievances. Public should come forward and agitate against government’s decision, he added.

 

Ridiculing that there has been scam worth crores of rupees and people within the government are part of the fraud, he said the government rather than concentrating on punishing the real culprits, is trying to make innocent people as scapegoats.

 

The State government has already announced that there are lakhs of illegal ration cards in the State. Ration cards are mandatory to take gas connections and in this background, the government should take immediate action against illegal ration cards.

 

Sarcastically, the government has failed to set right the irregularities that are being maintained in providing ration cards since 5 years, he alleged.

 

The Central government is giving subsidy to the State government over cylinders used for residential connection. The amount is about Rs 25 crores and in turn, the State government is earning more than Rs 50 crores of revenue per year through charging taxes on these cylinders.

 

The consumers are harassed by the government. Besides, government should also seriously go through “tatkal” yojana introduced by the then NDA government to get LPG connections immediately by paying Rs 8,000.

 

NDA Government had directed gas companies to give gas connections under “tatkal” yojana without demanding legal documents. Are those connection considered as void? he questioned.

 

He said the State government should immediately set right the damages done to the consumers owing to the new rule. If the government fails to do so, Congress will join hands with consumers and NGOs to strongly protest against government. However, it is the consumers who should come forward to condemn the act of this thick skinned  government, he added.