Free LPG to 25,000 BPL families in Bihar

Patna, July 25 (IANS) As many as 25,000 families living below the poverty line in Bihar will get free LPG connections, a minister said Wednesday.

Minister for Food and Consumer Protection Shyam Rajak said that in the first phase of Rajiv Gandhi Gramin LPG Vitrak Scheme, 25,000 BPL families would be provided free LPG connections by the end of this month.

"The government will provide free connection to more BPL families in the next phase," Rajak told IANS here.

Currently, there are 200 distributors in Bihar under the scheme.

Razak said BPL families would be exempted from depositing security money for the cylinder and regulator. They would just have to pay the cost of the LPG.

"For a free connection, belonging to the BPL category is the only criteria," he said.

The minister said there were over 38 lakh registered LPG consumers with 509 LPG agencies in the state.

"In view of the increasing demand, we have requested oil and gas companies to set up 146 new agencies in Bihar," he said.