LPG connections provided to 78.52pc families in Palamau: Das

Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Saturday said 78.52 per cent of the total families in Palamau division have been provided LPG connections as against only 13.6 per cent till 2014.

The government would give the clean cooking gas connections along with oven to ten lakh more families in the state, Das said at the inauguration and foundation stone laying ceremony for various schemes and projects worth Rs 107.55 crore in Palamau.

"Before 2014, there were difficulties in getting LPG connections in Jharkhand as well as in other parts of the country. But now there is a change. Only 16.8 lakh families had LPG connections in the state and now it has risen to 55.4 lakh families," he said.

Das said "Ujjwala Yozana" has changed the ratio.

State government is not alone working in providing LPG connections but also 773 'Ujjwala didi' (women groups) will "play key role" in the distribution of the clean cooking gas," Das said.

'Ujjwala Didi', a CSR handholding initiative, aims at creating a force of grassroot educators who can take the messages about clean cooking fuel to the last mile.

"The centre is giving cylinders free of cost while the state government is giving oven and two cylinders free of cost (to the beneficiaries in the state)Jharkhand is moving ahead with empowerment of women, youth and farmers," Das said.

Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda, who was present here at the programme, said oven and two LPG cylinders are being given free of cost in Jharkhand, reflecting "the sensitivity and commitment of the state government".