West Bengal to get Rs3,000 crore investments: Dharmendra Pradhan
Over 60 lakh LPG connections would be given under PMUY in West Bengal over the next two years, says Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan
Kolkata: With the launch of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana in West Bengal, targeted to benefit 1.96 crore BPL (below poverty line) households in the next three years, the state is going to witness an approximate investment of ₹ 3,000 crore creating 10,000 jobs, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Sunday.
He said more than 60 lakh LPG connections would be given under the programme in the state over the next two years.
“For which, there is a need for additional bottling capacity, new distributors and pipelines", the petroleum and natural gas minister said.
He said HPCL would be coming up with the largest bottling plant at Panagarh in the state, while other oil marketing companies IOC and BPCL were also doing the same.
“Plans are there to have an LPG import terminal at Haldia and trunk pipelines for transportation," he said. “All these would entail an investment of roughly ₹ 3000 crore," he said.
Under the PMUY scheme, women of 1.06 crore BPL households in the state would get LPG connection at ₹ 1600 each and also avail of EMI scheme for purchase of ovens.
Pradhan expressed dismay at West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee giving a miss to the launch of PMUY. “I am dismayed at the absence of Mamata Banerjee at the launch of PMUY, a programme which is meant for the poor," Pradhan said.
“I had personally sent an invitation to the chief minister through my officials. Ministers Jyotipriyo Mullick and Sovandeb Chatterjee were also invited. But none have come," he said.
The Union minister said he was like Banerjee’s “younger brother". “We may be from different political parties. But politics should not come in the way of development. We went ahead with the programme on our own," he said.
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