IMPHAL, April 16 - Steps are on to convert 573 Manipur villages into smokeless villages by May 5 under the directive of Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas � Sapka Saath Sabka Gao ka Vikas Sammelan, according to Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).
Out of the State�s 573 villages to be covered under the Centre�s initiative to make households smokeless (100 per cent Domestic LPG provision/conversion), Senapati district has the maximum number of (190) villages to be benefited while Thoubal has just one village. Churachandpur has 118 villages, Ukhrul-92, Tamenglong-89, Chandel-58, Imphal East-13, Bishnupur-7 and Imphal West-7.
The lone village in Thoubal district was Yaithibi Khunou having just 115 households and a population of 540.
�But so far, we have completed surveys of about 60 villages out of 573 villages which houses 144,282 familes,� Sinam Ibungoton, Deputy General Manager, IOC, Imphal said. �The selection of the woman beneficiaries will be from BPL families based on the 2011 Soico-Economic Caste Census(SECC)list or from SC/ST households, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana(Gramin), Antyodaya Anna Yojana, Forest dwellers, Most backward classes, people living in islands and river islands and ex-tea garden tribes.�
Reports said 6.55 lakhs LPG connections will be provided in Northeastern States under the scheme which is expected to cover 6,741 villages under 80 districts in NE.
