MARGAO
Saying that the three free LPG cylinder scheme is meant only for the BPL families and families with income less than Rs 5 lakh, Minister for Art & Culture, Govind Gaude on Thursday said he has no idea whether the Chief Minister had promised that every Goan household will get benefits of the scheme.When the media sought to know how come the government has now come out with an income ceiling on the free LPG scheme when the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant made no such condition in the run-up to the Assembly election, Gaude said every scheme has an income ceiling and the three free LPG cylinder scheme is not an exception.
Saying the scheme will be launched from the current month, Gaude said all the 37,000 BPL families will be eligible to avail benefit of the scheme, adding that the families with income less than Rs 5 lakh will be able to avail benefits of the scheme. “The scheme will be implemented in phases. The BPL families will be first covered under the scheme followed by the families with income less than Rs 5 lakh,” he said.
To a question, Gaude said even the Ladli Laxmi scheme is being implemented in the State with a ceiling on income. “There was a question before the government whether the money on the free LPG cylinders should go to the dealer or the beneficiary. It was finally decided that the amount should go in the account of the beneficiary,” he added.
Gaude, who also holds the Sports portfolio, said that work on the Margao swimming pools has started, adding that cleanliness work at the SAG complex is being looked after well after his visit. He said the department has floated a tender to replace the roof sheets of the Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, adding that the stadium will get a big facelift ahead of the FIFA U-17 World Cup matches.
