Dhumal seeks more LPG connections for Himachal

Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal has requested Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India not to ban the release of new LPG connections in Himachal Pradesh where the people were solely dependent on the same for their cooking fuel necessities. In a letter written to the Prime Minister he said that Himachal Pradesh has already banned felling of green trees and no alternate fuel was available for domestic requirements of the people who had already switched over to LPG consumption in place of traditional fuel wood practices. He said that State had been contributing significantly in maintaining the ecological balance by preserving the forests. He said that if the LPG was not made available to the consumers and the new connections of the same not released to the applicants, it would put pressure on the forests thereby affecting the green cover available in the State.

Chief Minister said that the State had been demanding wheat allocation as per its requirement under APL scheme and had been supplied much lower quota as compared to the demand which was faced on the actual requirement of the consumer of Himachal Pradesh. He said that Himachal Pradesh happened to be a consumer State since it needs to import essential commodities to meet its domestic requirements. He urged the Prime Minister to further increase the wheat allotment quota under APL Scheme and also supplies the remaining wheat quota to the State on priority. He informed him the matter had already been brought to the notice to the Union Minister for Consumer Affairs and Food Supplies making similar request.

Prof. Dhumal said that State had also demanded 1400 MT of imported Soya Refined oil to the Union Government supply of which was still awaited. He said that State had been supplying selected essential commodities to its public distribution system to BPL and APL families on subsidized rates

which included supply of Soya refined oil. He urged the Prime Minister to expedite the supply so that the same was made available to about 14 lac ration cardholders of the State. He added that the State Government had earmarked the budget of Rs. 90 crore to subsidize the selected essential commodities to the consumers during the current financial year.

Chief Minister said that the State had maintained good track record of managing public distribution system, which had also been appreciated in a study conducted by Planning Commission of India. He said that in order to prevent any diversion of food grains 70 percent of PDS shops had been allotted to the rural cooperative societies while State Civil Supplies Corporation had been designated as wholesale agent for the State. He further added that the State had constituted village level committees under the Chairmanship of Vice- President of concerned Gram Panchayats to monitor the distribution system under PDS. He said that State was monitoring the price of essential commodities in the open market also as Sub-Division and District Level Committees had been constituted under the control of concerned SDM and DCs while at State Level the Chief Secretary was keeping a strict vigil over the same.

Prof. Dhumal expressed concern over the rise in prices of essential commodities, which required to be checked forthwith immediately since it had affected the poor sections of the society immensely. He also appreciated the measures taken by the Centre Government to control inflation. He urged the Prime Minister to carry out suitable modification in the monitory and fiscal policies of the Union Government, which could be instrumental in controlling the prices and inflation in the country, so that common man was provided relief.