TS govt to extend 10 lakh ‘Deepam’ connections

Hyderabad: The State government on Wednesday announced that gas connections under Deepam scheme would be extended to all eligible.

Finance and Civil Supplies Minister Eatala Rajender informed the Legislative Council that the government had set a target of 10 lakh new LPG connections in the next financial year.

Replying to supplementary queries during the Question Hour, Rajender said it would cost Rs 1,600 for a LPG connection for which the government would bear the total cost of Rs 160 crore.

Currently, there are 19 lakh Deepam connections in Telangana. When members asked about any provision of reservation to SCs, STs and backward classes, the Minister said the government wanted to take the scheme to saturation, implying that every household in the State will have LPG connection in the next few years.

Replying to another question related to increase in prices of essential commodities, Rajender said only 15 per cent of the vegetables required were being produced in the State. To make Telangana self-sufficient in vegetable production, an area of 1,000 acres needed to be developed under Green House system. The government was clearing decks to announce ‘Mana Kooragayalu’ scheme to enable horticulture farmers sell their produce at profitable prices, he said.