Government says it has distributed about 70,000 Liquefied Petroleum Gas [LPG] cylinders to people under its rural LPG promotion project, which seeks to provide a cleaner, healthier and safer form of cooking fuel.

Petroleum Minister, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, who revealed this said 40 districts in six regions have so far been covered in the ongoing distribution of LPG cylinders.

This was when he distributed 1,000 cylinders to the people of Sekondi when the project was launched in the region.

He said 1,000 more will be distributed to the people, especially some selected government workers within the metropolis.

Some of the gas cylinders distributed He noted all 2,000 LPG cylinders to be distributed in the region are made in Ghana by the Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company.

Mr Kofi Buah who is the member of parliament for Elembelle constituency, rubbished claims that the project is for political gains, noting it part of government efforts towards reducing deforestation.

He explained the distribution of the cylinders would also help reduce school dropouts because pupils engaged in charcoal processing in most rural communities in the country will cease.

The minister appealed to Ghanaians, particularly charcoal producers, to desist from deforestation in charcoal. Some beneficiaries of the free LPG cylinders expressed gratitude to the petroleum ministry, particularly so because they will not be spending much time in cooking.

Meanwhile, he said government has laid 111 gas pipeline from Atuabo to Aboadze, which is to serve gas to the people in the Western, Central and Ashanti regions.