New Delhi, Sep.17 (ANI): The Delhi Cabinet has decided to extend relief to more than 3.56 lakh poor families by facilitating purchase of three more LPG cylinders on subsidized rate apart from the first six being provided by the Union Government in a calendar year.
The city Government, in fact, would release an amount of around Rs. 350 per cylinder difference of the price of a non subsidized and subsidized cylinder in Delhi.
The City Government would spare an amount of Rs. 42 Cr per annum to meet the additional cost of cylinder, beyond six cylinders, in respect of the beneficiaries under the Dilli Kerosene Free scheme. More than 3.56 lakh families i.e.BPL, AAY and JRC card holders, are covered under the scheme. The Cabinet also gave its nod for purchase of 625 fully built non AC low floor CNG buses by DTC. The decisions were taken at a Cabinet meeting today chaired by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.
Dikshit told media here that her government is committed to safeguard the interests of the common man.
She described the offer of an additional three cyclinders as a significant decision to provide relief to the poor families by mitigating the effects of inflation as far as cooking gas is concerned.
She said that her Cabinet had decided to provide relief on purchase of three more LPG cylinders to the beneficiaries under Kerosene Free Dilli Scheme launched on August 21, 2012.
The City Government had been releasing an amount of Rs. 3049 for each beneficiary to provide LPG connection, filled LPG cylinder, regulator, security amount, gas stove, suraksha tube and LPG connection book to the senior most female member of the family from AAY, BPL and JRC card holder categories.
She said that her government would meet the difference between the price of non subsidized and subsidized cylinder, for purchase of three more LPG cylinders in addition to six LPG cylinders being supplied by the Government of India on subsidy in respect of such families.
She said that the City Government would release an amount of Rs. 42 crore per annum for this purpose. It would also go a long way in ensuring full implementation of an ambitious Kerosene Free Dilli Scheme in order to ensure a clean environment for women working in the kitchens.
Dikshit further stated that her Cabinet has decided to further augment city carriage DTC Low Floor CNG Bus fleet from 3781 to more than 44 hundred by procurement of 625 fully built non AC buses.
The buses will be purchased with maintenance for 7,50,000 kilometers run or 12 years operations whichever is later at an estimated cost of approximate Rs. 52.78 lakh per bus involving an expenditure of about Rs. 330 crore.
The City Government is keen to augment its city stage carriage fleet up to 11 thousand buses wherein DTC and the corporate entities will operate the bus in 17 distinct clusters in equal ratio.
It may be recalled that 316 buses of corporate entities are plying under first two clusters. The present DTC fleet is 5667 buses including 3781 low floor buses. There is a need to procure more buses since 1742 old standard floor buses have completed their prescribed mileage of five lakh kilometer. Such buses are due for scrapping by November 2012. (ANI)
