Union Minister Hardeep Puri said he will discuss with officials if PSUs, OMCs can adopt a few mcd schools

Jun 26,2022

Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday said that he would discuss with officials a suggestion that public sector undertakings and oil marketing companies could "adopt" a few schools to help their maintenance and offer other kinds of assistance.

He said this while addressing a gathering after distributing e-tablets to several municipal teachers at a function held at the Civic Centre here. South Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri was also present on the dais, besides other senior officials.

A senior official of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi said, e-tablets have been provided to a total of 75 teachers of MCD-run schools. These e-tablets have been provided by Petronet LNG Ltd. through its CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) funds.

“Today, these tablets being given to MCD teachers is a small but significant step,” the Union minister said.

“The MCD schools in our (governance) philosophy, need assistance. I was having a discussion with him (Ramesh Bidhuri) and he said ‘we are talking of CSR assistance, and if PSUs, OMCs could adopt 20-20 schools, it will help in their maintenance and other matters’,” he said.

Several PSUs operate under the ministry and public sector OMCs i.e., Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL) do the retail marketing and distribution of petroleum products under the administrative control of the marketing division.

Puri said he would discuss with officials on the suggestion given by Bidhuri. And “after discussion, will make a plan”.

MCD schools make an important contribution and it is “our duty to assist these in that spirit”, said Puri, who also holds the portfolio of Housing and Urban Affairs.

“I have full faith that our OMCs, and also our ministry will extend all assistance that they can,” he said.

“Very happy to distribute 750 eTablets to teachers of MCD Schools of South Delhi as a CSR initiative of oil sector company @PetronetLNGLtd. Initiatives such as these will play a positive role in aiding the process of teaching, particularly in the post Covid world that we live in,” Puri later tweeted.

On COVID-19 fight, he said, the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has set up 1,500 PSA oxygen plants across the country under the PM-CARES Fund.

He lauded the government for crossing the 193 cr-mark in vaccination against COVID-19 and also helping other countries.

The cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 193.55 crore on May 31, the Union health ministry had earlier said.

Earlier Bidhuri addressing the gathering at the Civic Centre alleged that the Delhi government has not paid the full amount as mandated to be given to civic bodies under the fifth finance commission.

“But, we will take care of due salaries, now,” the BJP MP said.

Pankaj Jain, Secretary in Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas; Ashwani Kumar, Special Officer, MCD; Gyanesh Bharti, Municipal Commissioner and Akshay Kumar Singh, CMD Petronet LNG, were also present on the dais.