(PTI)
The government is eyeing close to Rs 30,000-crore investment for expansion of LPG production and distribution network in next three years as it widens cooking gas coverage by giving out a record number of connections.
A record 3.45 crore LPG connections were given during the fiscal ended March 31, 2017, including 2.2 crore free connections to poor women, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan told reporters here.As many as 6 crore connections have been given in last three years, taking LPG to 72.84 per cent of the population. The LPG coverage was just over 50 per cent when the NDA government took office in May 2014, he said.
Increasing LPG coverage is part of the government’s plan to cut on the use of polluting firewood and liquid fuel as medium of cooking. The use of LPG not just help environment but also increases productivity and prevent health hazards.
