Over 6cr LPG connections released under PMUY scheme

Over six crore LPG connections have been disbursed under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, the Centre said on Saturday.

Rajendra Saboo, Sr Manager (LPG Sales) Delhi Area Office of Indian Oil Corporation said in order to provide clean cooking fuel to Below Poverty Line (BPL) households in the country, the government launched the PMUY scheme to provide five crore deposit-free LPG connections to women belonging to these families, which were subsequently increased to eight crore with a budgetary allocation of Rs. 12800 crore.

Beneficiaries are identified through Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC) list and in case the names are not appearing in the SECC list, beneficiaries are identified from categories, that is, SC/STs households, beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY (Gramin), Antodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), Forest dwellers, Most backward Classes (MBC), Tea and Ex-Tea Garden Tribes and people residing in Islands/ river islands.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi also cleared the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas's proposal to release deposit free LPG connections to poor families who have not been considered earlier for release of LPG connections under the PMUY scheme on account of their names not been covered in categories identified above.

Abhishek Garg, District Nodal Officer of New Delhi district said the initial target of five crore connections was achieved well before the target, that is, March 31. 6th crore connection under this scheme was handed over by Vice President Venkaiah Naidu on January 2. Under this scheme, 48 per cent of the beneficiaries are SC/STs. The scheme has led to improved national LPG coverage which was less than 62 per cent as on April 01, 2016, to 89.5 per cent as on December 01, 2018.

LPG Panchayats are being observed to promote learning through peer group interaction - Kuch Seekhein, Kuch Sikhayein, where apart from experience sharing, it also aims at safe and sustained usage of LPG. A total of more than 994 LPG panchayats safety clinics for education and awareness programs among PMUY beneficiaries have been organised in entire Delhi till now.

PMUY implementation has been termed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a decisive intervention to check the indoor health pollution being faced by the women of the country.