The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) to provide free of cost lPG cooking gas connections to women from BPl households in Odisha will be launched in Sambalpur on June 20. Unon Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram and Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan are scheduled to flag it off.
The scheme seeks to empower women and protect their health by shifting them from traditional cooking based on unclean cooking fuels or on fossil fuels to clean cooking gas.
The identification of eligible BPl families will be made in consultation with the State. It will be implemented over three years’ time frame namely in the fiscal 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19.
Notably, it was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Maldepur Morh, Ballia in Uttar Pradesh. Under the PMUY, each beneficiary will receive monetary support of Rs 1,600 to get a connection of cooking gas. It includes administrative cost, pressure regulator booklet and safety hosepipe.
Providing lPG connections to BPl households will ensure universal coverage of cooking gas in the country. It will reduce drudgery and the time spent on cooking. It will also provide employment for rural youths in the supply chain of cooking gas, Indian Oil Corporation limited State coordinator Pritish Bharat informed at a Press conference.