MP raises LPG supply to tribal people in LS

Khammam: MP R Raghuram Reddy questioned in Lok Sabha on Thursday about the measures being taken to provide cooking gas facilities to tribals living in remote areas and the difficulties they are facing in refilling LPG gas in cylinders.

Asking a question to this effect during the winter session of Parliament, he asked to what extent the tribals have benefited through the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) scheme.

Union Minister of State for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Tourism Suresh Gopi in his written reply said that this scheme was launched in 2016. The main objective was to provide cooking gas facilities to elderly women, especially to the tribal areas of Telangana state. As of November 1 this year, 3.13 crore connections were given in the country through Ujjwala Yojana. Out of this, a total of 11.85 lakh in Telangana were provided to SCs and STs. As many as 83,176 connections were given in Khammam and 71,556 in Bhadradri Kothagudem district.

The MP then asked whether the central government identified the factors that led to the recent increase in cooking oil prices in the country. Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Nimuben Jayanthibhai Bambhaniya said that the domestic production of cooking oils decreased by 57 per cent and prices increased due to imports. He said that the central government was closely monitoring international and domestic prices. He said that to encourage the production of oilseeds, the Basic Customs Duty (BCD) on various edible oils was changed in favour of farmers. He explained that policy steps were being taken to make prices accessible, keeping in mind the interests of consumers, farmers and the cooking oil industry.