By Our Correspondent
KOLKATA:Pradhan Mantri UjjwalaYojana (PMUY) was launched on Sunday at Kolkata by Minister of State (I/C) – Petroleum & Natural Gas in the august presence of S S. Ahluwalia, Minister of State – Parliamentary Affairs, Agriculture and Farmer Welfare; Babul Supriyo – Minister of State, Heavy Industry and Public Enterprises; and Dilip Ghosh, MLA & State President BJP, West Bengal.
This marks one more step in the direction of providing LPG connections during the three financial years commencing 2016-17 to 5 crore families who are Below Poverty Line (BPL).As a symbolic launch of the PMUY, 20 women from ‘Below Poverty Line’ (BPL) families were handed over connections by Hon’ble Minister of State (I/C) – Petroleum & Natural Gas and other dignitaries on the dais.
Pradhan Mantri UjjwalaYojana, which was launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India on 1st May 2016 at Ballia (Uttar Pradesh) is a scheme to provide clean cooking fuel to the women belonging to the ‘Below Poverty Line’ (BPL) households across the country. Pradhan Mantri UjjwalaYojana (PMUY) aims to provide LPG connections to 5 Crore BPL households by 2019 and is a part of larger program of adding 10 Crore new LPG connections by 2019 to achieve full coverage of connections in Indian households.
This is the first time in the history of the country that the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural gas is implementing a welfare scheme benefitting crores of women belonging to the BPL households. The identification of BPL families will be made on Social Economic Caste Census (SECC)- 2011 data. Providing LPG connections to BPL households will ensure universal coverage of cooking gas in the country.The scheme of providing clean cooking fuel will also reduce drudgery and the time spent on cooking and will also provide employment for rural youth in the supply chain of cooking gas.
Minister of State (I/C) – Petroleum & Natural Gas in his address during the function said that GOI is going to invest around Rs. 3000 crorein various projects in the state of West Bengal to augment the LPG supply system & enhance the employment availability by adding close to 10000 new jobs. He also said that they are going to release 60 lakh new LPG connections in the coming 2 years.
Finance Minister has budgeted Rs. 2,000 Crore to provide assistance to 1.5 crore LPG connections for BPL households during the financial year 2016-17. During the next two financial years i.e. 2017-18 and 2018-19, the Government of India would make budgetary provision of Rs. 6000 Crore for 3.5 Crore new connections to BPL households under PMUY.
PMUY scheme provides assistance of Rs. 1600/- to the woman beneficiary, comprising security deposit of 14.2 Kg cylinder and domestic pressure regulator;suraksha hose; domestic gas consumer card and installation charges.
Subsequent to the launch of the scheme on 1st May, 2016 at Balia in UP; several regional launches took place for the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Odisha, Bihar, Haryana, Chattisgarh to expedite enrolment of more and more of beneficiaries in the scheme. Within a short span of around 3 months, more than 33 Lac beneficiaries have been released LPG connections under the scheme throughout the country. Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is set to extend benefit of the scheme to 1.5 crore beneficiaries during the current financial year 2016-17.
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has released the toll free helpline number for the Pradhan Mantri UjjwalaYojana beneficiaries. The candidates from BPL households can call toll free at 1800 266 6696 to discuss any of their queries about the PM UjjwalaYojana.
