SPOTLIGHT AGENCIES
roopan27 - 23 March, 2011 | Civic amenities | Bangalore | Complaint | Living | ration card
Any citizen of India is eligible for a subsidized gas connection for household use.I am not able to get even a single cylinder for household cooking since I do not have a ration card, nor can I transfer the cylinder I have on my name in Maharashtra to here.I have to pay more than a Rs.1000/- for a cylinder from a private vendor.
People who misuse the subsidy do so blatantly.You can always see people buying cylinders from the gas delivery men by paying them extra.But to get a connection legally is just so difficult since it is impossible to even get an application for for a new ration card.
Visit any gas cylinder agency for a new gas connection and the first thing they ask is 'Do you have a ration card?' Without that we are not eligible to get a gas connection. But this is so only in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu as far as I know. In Maharashtra and other states any other sorts of identification like passport, BSNL connection or electric connection etc is enough.
Why do people need to get a ration card just for a gas connection when they are not eligible for ration goods.Why does any other id not hold good for giving a connection only in some states? And getting a ration card is another altogether difficult process.Many have tried unsuccessfully and then have to resort to private gas.
Would like to know Praja members views on this one.
COMMENTS
LPG gas cylinders are highly subsidised, around 200 Rs per cylinder by central govt. So to avoid misuse different states employ different methods. Hotel people buy gas from black otherwise.
Firstly, welcome to Praja, Roopan.
Indeed a valid point you have raised. And, what has been stated by rackstar does not seem to provide a satisfactory explanation.
Since I have had a gas connection from long, the question did not occur to me till now. It definitely needs to be raised, and good you have done it now.
This is a slightly crazy requirement in Karnataka, to produce ration cards. The real question is whether this requirement has really managed to make a dent in the number of illegal supplies?
If I am not mistaken, in TN they accept an address proof issued by the post office. At least, that was the case couple of years back, not sure if it is true now.
Time to get piped gas in homes.
As they lay down for the night, Holmes asked: "Watson, look up into the sky and tell me what you see".
Watson said " I see millions and millions of stars".
Holmes: "And what does that tell you?"
Watson: "Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Theologically, it tells me that God is great and that we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, it tells me that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What does it tell you?"
Holmes: "Elementary, my dear Watson. Somebody stole our tent"
Cooking gas is subsidized, in Karnataka. As such it is not supposed to be used for any other purposes like Industrial / car fuel.
I too don't have a gas connection, they need a ration card. Since I don't have one, I have been using Jyothi gas, and borrowing extra cylinder from relatives.
Mr Watson, legal, illegal and all that is fine, but looks like nobody has an answer to your question roopan.
Ofcourse I know that using a subsidized gas connection for purposes other than household cooking is illegal.But the question here is how needing a ration card for a gas connection helps eliminate illegal connections when the govt. of Karnataka itself has acknowledged that there are far more ration cards issued than the actual population of Karnataka. Why not a passport or electricity connection not work when that works fine in other states? Or Atleast the process of applying for a ration card should be made better.
Have sent a mail as below. If I don't get a response soon enough, I shall follow it up with an RTI query.
Sri B A Harish Gowda, IAS,
Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Dept,
Govt of Karnataka,
# 29, Ground Floor, Vikas Soudha, Bangalore 560001
(e-mial: prs-fcs[at]karnataka[dot]gov[dot]in; Ph: 22259024)
Sir
sub: ration cards and fresh LPG connections
Your drive towards unearthing bogus domestic LPG connections, through linking the LPG connections with BESCOM meter numbers, is very much appreciated. But, what is not quite understood is the insistence of the gas agencies on producing ration cards for accepting fresh gas connection applications, particularly so, when states like Maharashtra go on the strength of passports and electricity bills.
Can not Karnataka also follow the Maharashtra example in order to save the many genuine gas connection aspirants the ordeal of acquiring ration cards, just for the sake of getting a gas connection?
I look forward to your early response.
Regards, M
Need to see what the thugs in the government want.
Simple, the most corrupt state govt. in the ...,, wants to make sure it is getting its share of the black money the dealers are making, hence the need to know the number of legal gas connections and the great campaign!
Below in an extract of Mr.Harish Gowda's Interview.I think we should not doubt his noble intentions as this would ultimately help the honest common man.......i guess it wrong to assume that all government oficials are corrupt.
when i had my CET counselling in 1995,I remember that Mr. Harish Gowda had brought about sweeping changes in the way the CET Cell functioned. He introduced transparency in the allotment of seats in professional colleges.There have harldy any complaints in the seat allotments in CET.The system was fair easy and totally transparent.
My mother was working as a lectuer in Govt PU college and her opinion is that Mr.Gowda had a very good reputation as a director of the PU board. He introduced the system of providing photo-copies of answer scripts to students who applied for re-valuation,i guess this step is something which is very fair to the student community.
Explanation given by Mr.Gowda for the need of RATION CARD
The government is supposed to have issued 32 lakh BPL ration cards in the state, but one crore are in circulation.
Then there are 60 lakh APL cards in circulation, which finally adds up to 1.6 crore cards when there are only 1.2 crore people in Karnataka!
The misuse of funds amounts to almost Rs 100 crore every month.In a city of about 10 lakh LPG consumers, there are 20 lakh LPG connections. There is obviously a thriving black market.
Full interview
www.bangaloremirror.com/index.aspx
Regards,
Imran.
Thanks Mr. Muralidhar Rao for raising the issue with Mr. Harish Gowda. I think a lot of people would like to know the answer for this as many need gas connections .
Ofcourse not all govt. officials are corrupt. And if somebody is really working hard to get a good thing done it is really commendable and truly appreciated. But equally there are corrupt people as well who have given a bad name to the system and most of the time the common man encounters them when he needs his work to be done.
Of course the govt is the master of doublespeak. You need an honest person to front everything (Manmohan Singh, Harish Gowda...). I doubt very much that this collection of ration cards and electricity bills and UIDs will produce any lasting effect. But while it lasts, get your gas connection.
I am recollecting some pieces of information read from news papers like Prajavani and TOI.
Govt. of Karnataka outsources Ration Card Production (?) work to some company. That company mass produced ration cards in excess. As per that report some villages having 4000 and odd population. But as per ration card data the population is 7000 and odd. The company duped the government for several crores of rupees. Instead of catching that company, government is using round about route just like a popular Kannada saying "Konkana Sutti Mylarakke Hoguvudu".
If the government agencies visit each of the houses mentioned in the ration card, they can catch the bogus cards which they dont' want to do.
In every corner of Bangalore the road side eateries are using domestic gas cylinders. Welding shops are using domestic cylinders.
Mirror news paper published (about a year back) an excellent story with photos how domestic cylinders are used for filling the small cylinders used in autos.
A large companies gas cylinders come with lesser pressure and users guess is that they are getting partially used cylinders.
All these can be tracked by sending the inspection team which the authorities are not doing.
Instead of that, they are going round and round.
From the past experience (many names and addresses are wrongly updated in BWSSB and BESCOM and Corporation Billing Systems and there is no way of correcting of the same) and experience with government agencies (For example CPC cell of IT dept. is sending demand notices for the people who have paid taxes because of wrong data entry or faulty software), this exercise may throw in lot of wonders on citizens.
Sub-clause (3) of clause 3 of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Regulation of Supply and Distribution) Order, 2000, stipulates that to be entitled for supply of LPG gas cylinder a family should be registered under the public distribution system. A ration card is a document to show that a family is so registered.
Since, we would like to abide by law in public interest, it is not possible to authorise the distributor to provide gas connection on the basis of passport or electricity bills.
I would like to desist from commenting upon Maharashtra Government allowing people to get gas connection on the basis of passport and electricity bills.
sd/- Harish Gowda
My further request:
Dear Mr Harish Gowda
Thank you very much for the prompt response. If the law mandates that way, I fully appreciates that it has to be followed.
But, Sir, you have yourself identified, and quite correctly so too, the domestic power supply connection proof as a more relevant eligibility criterion for gas connection. As such, would you like to recommend to the government to make the necessary amendment to the law, in overall public interest? And, should you require any kind of a supportive action from the citizen's side, in this regard, we in PRAJA, can provide that.
I await to hear from you.
stipulates that to be entitled for supply of LPG gas cylinder a family should be registered under the public distribution system.
Maybe because it was not distributed in ration shops I was under the impression it was not a PDS item this long. Is LPG a PDS item? If yes, how can Maharashtra distribute PDS item without a ration card? This will be like issuing PDS rice with a salary slip as proof of poverty line.
Well, we all know that ration card is necessary for getting a gas connection an dMr. Harish Gowda just confirmed the same.But getting a ration card is still a process which many people are not able to do.
My experience is that we visited three food and civil dept offices in bangalore from kasturba road, ulsoor and then Kr Puram. Initially in the two offices after a lot of round about we were sent to other office.Finally we reached the Kr Puram office, there we found a queue of people waiting for application to apply for ration card.But no official was there to actually issue it.Some said he is not there, some said he has gone on election duty etc etc. Ultimately we could not even get an application to apply for the same, that too after wasting a complete day for it.Not everyday can a person afford to do this leaving his/her job.After that experience we went for a private gas connection. I am in the process of relocating now to another part of bangalore.Maybe then I will once again give a try to get the elusive ration card.Hope to succeed this time .
As far as Maharashtra is concerned, when you went to the HP website for a new gas connection registration they would accept a numerous different documents as proof , not only ration card. But here all other options are disabled and only ration card is accepted. I don't know if it is still the same or it has changed. Also I read somewhere that only in these two states ration card is mandatory. So I assumed it is not so in the other states.Maybe true or not. I do not mind that we have to get a ration card.But getting one is what is difficult in my experience
Hi , I found some good work by Muralidhar Rao here. 3 cheers to him. So I thought this the right place to voice my queries/concerns.
My name is in my parent's ration card and I am married now. So I want to delete my name from that ration card and similarly my husband's from his parent's ration card, and apply for a new one.
Now that they have stopped issuing new ration cards, can I still get one done?? We own a flat here in bangalore and I have an BESCOM RR number too. My parent's ration card is also from bangalore and my hubby's from TN.
What do you think ?
@Anisha
It should be possible to get a new card with both your names, after deleting them from the existing cards, for the specific purpose of getting Indene gas connection. You need to furnish your residential address along with the corresponding BESCOM RR no to get the gas delivered to you regularly. You need to contact the zonal ration office corresponding to the area you live in Bangalore.
@ Anisha/ Roopan - If you are not making much headway with the local authorities, why don't you contact Mr Harish Gowda's office, if not Mr Gowda himself. He responded to me readily. There's no reason why he should not in your respective cases.
Ok one small update. My husband went to the ration card issuing office (george oakes building,
near sp road) and asked them. They said no new ration card will be issued irrespective of what the case is. But he said.." you bring it sir... we will see what we can do". I am not sure what he means by that.
So one small question. Will the gas agency not give me a cylinder with my address with BESCOM RR no alone ? do they absolutely require the ration card ?
Who is this MR.Harish Gowda. Should I write to him or go to his office.
Is this his current address:
Sri B A Harish Gowda, IAS,
Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Dept,
Govt of Karnataka,
# 29, Ground Floor, Vikas Soudha, Bangalore 560001 ?
and thanks so much Mr Muralidhar Roa & psaram42 for your help.
" you bring it sir... we will see what we can do". I am not sure what he means by that.
I think he's sending a message. May be you should tell him that you'll report him to Anna Hazare :))).
So one small question. Will the gas agency not give me a cylinder with my address with BESCOM RR no alone ? do they absolutely require the ration card ?
I don't have a ration card; but I have an Indane gas connection, and in the recent drive that has been tagged to my BESCOM RR no. So, Mr Gowda's stance is a bit puzzling
Who is this MR.Harish Gowda.
That's a strange question. My mail exchange with him (posted above) was early this month. So, I should think he still continues in the same post.
Should I write to him or go to his office.
His office readily responded to my calls and mails. So, try that first. And later, if required, go over and try once again to explain the logic to him. If he's still talking legalese, may be you should try and meet the local Corporater, MLA, or even Ms Shobha Karandlaje, the minister concerned.
Try and team up with other interested people from your area, and take it up as a project. If you succeed, you will have done a great service for your fellow citizens, and you could even consider contesting the next Corporation elections :))).
Yeah, so one update I have. My husband went to the gas agency yesterday, and they for the first time said bring the sale deed, ID proff and BESCOM RRNo and we will authenticate and initiate the process. So thats great news. I will keep you updated on what happens.
Anyway I have also written to Mr Harish Gowda, to his mailing ID, lets see what happens.
If nothing then I will def team up ;)
Thanks so much for your time. Will keep in touch.
Regards
Anisha
Hi All,
Have they started issuing the ration cards now in Bangalore? Because from the month of Jan 2011, they said they have stopped issuing ration cards in Bangalore, due to verfication and elimination of fake cards were in process. Is that still going on or the people in Civil and Food supplies have resumed with issuing of ration cards?
If anyone who have recently enquired about this or have visited their respective office to get their concerns addressed, please do let me know of the present status.
Thanks in advance,
Soumya.
Welcome to PRAJA, Ms Smart. In my post of 24th March, I had given the contact particulars of the concerned office. Why don't you contact them, raise the question, and let us all know what they have to say. Let's take on IBM, and say 'we are all smart', not just them :)))
HI TO ALL...
I M ABDUSSUBHAN FROM AHMEDABAD,BUT I M LIVING IN KOLKATA, I ALSO DONT HAVE RATION CARD
THANKS
ABDUSSUBAHN
9674800028
I got a new ration card, but an unknown gas connection included in my ration card. i went to bangalore east food office, they said they cannot remove the connection now. what I need to do, where I can go for removing this. According to the updation procedure, again I went to KR puram bio matric photo center, they dont have the authorisation to updat.
no idea what to do now.
regards,
Baburaj
I need to remove gas connection entry from the card since it is an unknow gas connection.
@ Baburaj - Firstly, welcome to PRAJA.
In my post of the 24th March, '11 (above), I have given the address of Sri B A Harish Gowda, IAS, Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Dept, Govt of Karnataka. Please send a registered letter to him explaining your position, and enjoy the gas supply till they catch up with the irregularity. Let's see how long it takes for the catch up. Do make it a point to retain all the copies of correspondence, receipts, acknowledgements, etc.
PRAJA.IN COMMENT GUIDELINES
Posting Guidelines apply for comments as well. No foul language, hate mongering or personal attacks. If criticizing third person or an authority, you must be fact based, as constructive as possible, and use gentle words. Avoid going off-topic no matter how nice your comment is. Moderators reserve the right to either edit or simply delete comments that don't meet these guidelines. If you are nice enough to realize you violated the guidelines, please save Moderators some time by editing and fixing yourself. Thanks!