VISAKHAPATNAM / HYDERABAD: There is good news for women in the 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh. As Dussehra supply, the state government announced on Tuesday three lakh liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) under the Deepam scheme connections for women in the state. 

District will get 25,000 connections Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam as have been sanctioned 19,000 connections and 16,200, respectively. Kadapa District has received the lowest number of 14,697 connections. 

Deputy Chief Minister in China Nimmakayala Rajappa TOI said that the state government took the decision to release new connections for the benefit of women. 

The Department of Consumer Affairs, Food and Civil Supplies issued a GO Ms No 14 on Tuesday to sanction some three lakh LPG connections to women below the poverty line under the Deepam scheme for the year 2014-15. 

Sanjay Jaju, former secretary of the office of the state government, said the beneficiaries will be selected in accordance with the guidelines of the department and LPG distributors to carry oil public sector undertakings will release the connections to the beneficiaries so priority. 

The Deepam scheme was launched in the state on July 9, 1999, for the distribution of LPG connections to women below poverty line. As on date, the only one Visakhapatnam district 2,92,525 LPG connections within the system. 
Executive Member Pradesh Gas Distributors Association Andhra LP B Sridhar said the state government will pay Rs 1,500 as a deposit on each LPG connection under the scheme. The beneficiaries have to contribute Rs 435 to cost of gas, Rs 200 as installation charges and Rs 170 for the rubber tube. 

When contacted, joint collector Visakhapatnam Pravin Kumar said the order did not go through the government Deepam scheme yet.