20 lakh gas connections could be illegal: State

Speaking to reporters in Bangalore on Friday, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Shobha Karandlaje said RR numbers/ APL ration card numbers provided by LPG consumers is being compiled and 80 per cent of the work has been completed.

The department had recently taken up an exercise to correlate the LPG consumers numbers with RR numbers so that it can weed out bogus connections.

She said the report for urban areas in the State would be completed in a week’s time. After completion of the data entry process, the department will issue orders to LPG agencies to stop delivery of gas to consumers with illegal connections.

Karandlaje, who also holds the Energy portfolio, said the government will provide uninterrupted power during evenings across the State (at least single phase in rural areas) in view of the examination season for students.

Escoms have been directed to purchase power from sugar industries and captive power plants to meet local demand.  She said the government has issued an order for regularisation of illegal pumpsets by paying a one time regularisation fee of Rs 10,000. The last date to avail the scheme is September 30, she said.