IIT researchers devise programme to maximise LPG connections

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur have devised a computer programme that will help maximise LPG connections in BPL households in the 'Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana', a statement issued by the institute said Thursday.

An IIT Kharagpur team of researchers, led by Prof Manoj Kumar Tiwari of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, have devised the 'Decision Support System' (DSS) focusing on the 'Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana' for maximising (optimizing) the number of LPG connections, particularly in below poverty level (BPL) households, it said.

A decision support system (DSS) is a computer programme that helps in making sound rational decisions using mathematical programming and operation research techniques.

The DSS mathematical model devised at IIT KGP has found the optimum number of total (BPL) connections required in a region and the number of dealerships that need to be commissioned in a region over the policy time frame, the statement said.

This type of mathematical modeling of a policy (LPG) can be used as a reference for mathematical modeling of other policies, the statement said.

"This kind of DSS can be developed for various federal and state level policies for various commodities like solar panels distributions, agricultural commodities and so on," it said.

This model can not only predict how the number of household connections can be increased but also the region that contributes most in each zone of LPG distribution.

The PMUY, launched in May 2016, aimed at providing 5 crore LPG connections by 2019 to BPL families with the support of Rs 1,600 to each family. The government has recently revised the target to 8 crore LPG connections by 2020.

While certain areas such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Rajasthan and West Bengal have been well covered, the government needs to pay special attention to regions critical to LPG penetration, such as Assam in the North-East to achieve 100 per cent BPL household penetration, the statement said.