On 11th March 2016, MRPL and HPCL in association with Bala Grama Panchayat held a programme to issue Free LPG Connections to 51 BPL (Below Poverty Line) families in MRPL Employees Club.

Shri B Adam, President, Bala Grama Panchayat presided over the function. Shri B A Mohiuddin Bava, MLA - Mangalore North, Smt Vasanti Kishore, Zila Panchayat Member – Bajpe, Smt Shashikala, Taluk Panchayat Member – Bala, Shri Gopal Krishna Bhat M, Executive Officer, Taluk Panchayat, Smt Prathibha Kudthadka, PDO, Grama Panchayat, Shri S Guha, Chief Regional Manager HPCL joined our Managing Director, Chief Vigilance Officer, Director Refinery & Director Finance in sharing the dais.

The programme began with a welcome speech by Shri BHV Prasad, GM – HR, HRD & CSR. The dignitaries were welcomed with floral bouquets.

Shri Mohiuddin Bava spoke on the occasion and thanked MRPL and HPCL for their efforts to make Bala and Kalavar villages smoke free. The noble work of both these PSUs has earned them good will in the area which would turn into blessings from the almighty and they definitely will prosper in future, he said.

Smt Pratibha Kudthadka, PDO, Bala Grama Panchayat explained how the 51 families were selected for the free LPG distribution programme, out of these 51, the cost of 9 connections were borne by Bala Panchayat, the cost of 42 connections were borne by MRPL. She said that HPCL exempted the deposit amount and waiting period for these connections. The dignitaries on the dais distributed the Stoves to the families as a symbolic gesture of their Smoke Free Campaign.

Gopalakrishna Bhat M, Executive Officer of Taluk Panchayath spoke on the occasion and praised MRPL and HPCL for their noble deed. He further said that if MRPL & HPCL extend their good work in other neighbouring villages then the Taluk and Zilla panchayath would always be ready to do their part.

Shri S Guha, Chief Regional Manager, HPCL said that the first village in the country to go smoke-free was in Chikballapur district in December, 2015 and since then around 14,000 villages in the country have become smoke free. The Bala Panchayat villages are the first in the district to become smoke free, he said.

Shri H Kumar , Managing Director MRPL said the Petroleum Minister is the one who issued directions to adopt at least a village and make it smoke free. The Central Government has earmarked a sum of Rs. 2000 Crores for smokeless cooking for below poverty line citizens in order to maintain healthy population, he added. Shri B Adam, President of Bala Grama Panchayat spoke on the occasion and thanked MRPL and HPCL for their noble work.

Smt Prathibha Kudthadka, PDO Bala Panchayat proposed vote of thanks.

The event concluded with the distribution of LPG kits to the 51 families of the Kalavar and Bala village of Bala grama Panchayat. They were also given the safety briefing about the usage of LPG.