Maharashtra gets 70 pc of its kerosene requirement: Tatkare

Nagpur, Dec 11 (UNI) Maharashtra gets about 70 per cent of its requirement of kerosene from the Centre, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Sunil Tatkare told the Legislative Assembly today.

In a written reply to Ajit Gogte (BJP), Mr Tatkare said the state government received a quota of 1,36,732 kilolitres of kerosene per month from the Centre, and therefore, the state government could not release the full requirements to the districts and tehsils.

He said the Centre had not reduced the state's quota of kerosene.

The state government has no policy to permit separate schools and hostels for students from the Anglo-Indian community, Education Minister Vasant Purke said in another written reply to Victor Freitas (nominated) and others.

The Minister, however, confirmed that the government had received a memorandum from people's representatives to start such schools and hostels in various districts.

The government was considering a proposal to amend the relevant law to allow the auction of the collection of entertainment tax on cable television connections, Revenue Minister Narayan Rane told Raj Purohit (BJP) and three others.

In a written reply, Mr Rane said the amended rules would be finalised after discussion with the officials concerned.

The government would ask the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) to conduct a survey of those engaged in the collection of waste paper and trash in the state, Minister of State for Social Justice Dharmarao Baba Atram assured the House.

Replying to supplementaries on a question from Narsayya Adam (CPI), Mr Atram said children of those engaged in the collection of waste paper and trash were not included in a pre-matric scholarship scheme by the Central government for the dependants of those in unhygienic professions.

The state government had written to the Centre on May 7, 2002, seeking the inclusion of children of waste paper and trash collectors in the scheme, he said, adding that a reminder had also been sent to the Centre.

Mr Atram's question had been withheld on July 14 and came up for discussion today.

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