LPG outlet quotas: Karnataka High Court notice to petroleum companies, Centre

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court has ordered notices to Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum, Hindustan Petroleum and to the central government respondents - Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

The court passed the orders on a petition by the Karnataka Rajya Vikalachetanara Samiti, seeking directions to issue a notification providing 5% reservation in 238 LPG distributorships in the state for persons with disabilities.

The petitioner said that as per Section 37 of the RPD Act, the respondents are mandated to notify schemes in favour of persons with disabilities and must provide 5% reservation to persons with disabilities in all poverty-alleviation developmental schemes.

The petition states that the notification from oil marketing companies has reserved six instead of 11 distributorships for the disabled, while inviting applications for 238 LPG distributors in Karnataka which amounts to less than 5%.

The petitioner stated that the respondents are also not providing financial assistance of loans and margin money, concessions in the application fees and not relaxing upper age limit to people with disabilities.

'Do not release rescued cattle'
The High Court has ordered notices to the city police commissioner, deputy police commissioner (Bengaluru east zone) and the Ramamurthy Nagar police pertaining to a case related to illegal transportation and slaughter of cattle. The court directed police not to release 16 rescued cattle from the gaushala.

The petitioners allege that the police rescued the cattle while they were being illegally transported, but failed to register an FIR and filed a non-cognizable report.

They have also moved the court seeking a ban on the release of cattle from the Krishna Gaushala in Hennur.