Jan ki baat visited B K Dutt colony, New Delhi. On Saturday (July 22nd, 17) the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the pipelined natural gas (PNG) here. People expressed their happiness for the pipeline and the sense of relief that they are getting. This pipeline is said to be the result of a two year long struggle. New Delhi MP Meenakshi Lekhi and Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) managing director E S Ranganathan attended the inauguration along with the residents of the colony.
Pradhan said that the expansion of PNG network in cities like Delhi will lead to additional availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the country’s remote areas, which will help take LPG to the kitchens of the poor and marginalised through Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. He thanked Lekhi for her efforts to get clearance for laying 3 km of pipeline in the colony.
But what took so long for this pipeline to become a reality?
The residents of this colony told Jan ki baat how the previous government and officials lacked political will and did not put any efforts in this direction while the new government made this pipeline possible. Showing gratitude towards the efforts of Lekhi as well as Pradhan, the president of Citizen residents welfare association B K Dutt colony, Harbans Dunkall tells us that it’s the will of the government that matters. “The old governments did not have the will for people’s welfare. The new Govt. did it.” He says.
He also told us that the pipeline proposal was rejected earlier due to security reasons.
And after meeting with Lekhi, she denied the fact that the pipeline would be unsafe in the colony. She negated the security reasons on the pretext that even the LPG cylinders can cause accidents, but we don’t stop people to cook. After all, we cannot deny services to people in the name of “risk”.
As many as 2000 cylinders that would be released, can be distributed among the poor.
This pipeline is said to be safe for the residents. The 24 hours availability of gas militates against the inconvenience earlier faced by the residents.
“We were deprived from this facility for past 20 years whereas the neighboring colonies have had it long ago. This government and our RWA have helped us achieve it.” a resident claims. He said that the given up cylinders will create surplus cylinders and foregone subsidies will also largely benefit the poor.
The gas is also cheaper through pipeline system. The others are hopeful that this will reduce leakages and corruption in cylinders and sales and will benefit the poor.
Over 1500 families will benefit in the BK Dutt Colony, over 750 residents of the colony have already registered for the PNG connections and network has already been laid to provide PNG connections to 450 kitchens in the colony. Jan ki baat will update you more on the developments taking place in the NCT.
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