The Department of Food, Public Distribution and Consumers Affairs along with 20-Point Programme Implementation Committee today organised LPG gas connection camps across the State under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana.
The function was held at all district headquarters, block headquarters and at several other places on the demand of public representatives. This is the third phase of LPG distribution in State. Department of Food, Public Distribution and Consumers Affairs, Secretary Amitabh Kaushal said, “Today the third phase for providing LPG gas connection begins. Officials at all the district headquarters have been asked to provide the list of beneficiaries who received LPG gas connection today, based on which we will prepare the exact number of beneficiaries who have received the LPG connections.”
The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana is an ambitious welfare scheme of Modi Government launched on May 1, 2016 from Ballia in Uttar Pradesh. Under the scheme, the Government aims to provide LPG connections to BPL households in the country. The scheme is aimed at replacing unclean cooking fuels such as coal, woods or other means with more efficient LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas).
Sources said that the Jharkhand had made a progress in LPG distribution as large number of gas connections have been distributed mainly in rural areas. Sources said that prior to the launch of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, there were around 16 lakh PLG connections in the State, but since the launch of the scheme, the department has distributed around 28 lakh new LPG connections with beneficiary from different society.
As the scheme is pet project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government is keeping a keen interest in the implementations of the scheme. Das, at several public platforms had directed his officials to give special focus in implementing Ujjwala scheme.
Apart from Government focus on making the Ujjwala scheme a grand success, the department effort is also to maintain the retention rate. There were reports and allegation from opposition parties that poor consumers are not going for refilling the cylinder, due to high cost of LPG gas cylinder. However, in the last Assembly session, Saryu Roy, Minister of Food and Civil Supplies department claimed that Ujjwala scheme is successful in State with higher retention rate of gas connections.
According to government estimates out of total beneficiaries, around 70 per cent people are regularly refilling their gas cylinder and the high cost of cylinder has not come in way of shifting to traditional means of cooking (earthen stoves).
For creating use of LPG cylinders, the department is organizing LPG Panchayat in rural areas involving participation of women. In current fiscal, the government has pegged a target of holding 2700 LPG Panchayat. Also through audio-video medium awareness campaign will be launched. The government has also initiated the process of creating awareness through SMSs.
