Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana has grown substantially in odisha :Pradhan
Bhubaneswar, Oct 6 : Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Saturday said Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana has grown substantially in Odisha with LPG penetration rising from 20 lakh households in 2014 to 73 lakh.
Within a span of less than 3 years Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana has grown leaps and bounds in Odisha taking the LPG penetration from 20 per cent in 2014 to 68 per cent in September 2018, Pradhan said.
The Petroleum Minister said this while interacting with the Ujjwla beneficiaries at 5 venues - Angul, Baripada (Mayurbhanj), Sambalpur, Berhumpur (Ganjam) and Jeypore (Koraput) - through a video conference from National Informatics Centre (NIC) in Bhubaneswar.
Stating that Ujjwla Yojana has transformed the lives of 34 lakhs of poor families in the state, Pradhan said over 53 lakh families have been provided with new LPG connections since 2014 in the state.
Pradhan focused on the safety aspects of LPG use and urged people to use the LPG for a better life style, health and women empowerment. He said Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana has become a people's movement in the country.
Meanwhile, Pradhan Mantri LPG Panchayats were conducted at 100 locations in of Odisha on Saturday. Around 18,000 Ujjwala beneficiaries who are using LPG under PM Ujjwala Yojna came together under one roof to discuss the benefits of LPG in their lives.
Representatives from Oil Marketing Companies educated the LPG user on various aspects of safe use of LPG through video and practical demonstration.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
