more-in Only around 3,000 of the 15,000-odd beneficiaries identified for the Mukhyamantri Anila Bhagya scheme have so far submitted applications to the gram panchayats in Dakshina Kannada district. Of the 49,756 below poverty line households without LPG connection in the district, the State Government had identified 15,858 families for the scheme initially. A total of 10 lakh BPL households are being covered in the first phase of the scheme in the State. Under the scheme, the State Government will provide free domestic gas connection, a two-burner gas stove and two gas refills to each BPL household at a cost of ?4,040. The district-level selection-cum-monitoring committee headed by district in-charge Minister B. Ramanath Rai had a meeting in January to finalise the list of beneficiaries. Accordingly, letters were sent to around 15,000 BPL households, that included some construction labourers. They were asked to submit their application along with their Aadhaar number to gram panchayat office/ Janasnehi Kendra concerned. Deputy Director of Food and Civil Supplies A.T. Jayappa told The Hindu that so far about 3,000 beneficiaries have submitted their applications. The labour department is now going through the details of the applicants to find whether any of them are construction labourers registered with the Karnataka Building and Other Construction Welfare Board. “If any of them is a construction labourer, then the cost of gas connection and refill will be borne by the Labour Department,” he said. The government has released around ?48 lakh towards implementation of the scheme in the district, he added. Mr. Jayappa said the department will cross check information of beneficiaries with the database of domestic gas connection holders maintained by oil companies. A demand draft of ?4,040 will be given only on confirmation that beneficiary does not have a domestic gas connection.

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