As per the 2011 Census, there are 12.45 lakh disabled persons living in Odisha; and according to the rules, they are entitled to get three per cent reservation in all the poverty alleviation schemes, including the Prime Minister Ujwala Yojana (PMUY) launched by the Central Government for free gas connection to the poor households.
Accordingly, all the national disability pension card holders in are being provided with free lPG gas connections, electricity connections and free Indira Awas house building on a massive scale.
Institute of Social Work and Research general secretary Sannyas Kumar Behera had requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Chhattisgarh-like facilities, particularly free gas connections, to all the disabled pension holders in Odisha whose incomes are limited to `300 to `500 per month.
And the PM directed the Chief lPG Manager Odisha State Office KC Jena to act accordingly.
But Jena, instead of addressing the grievance of the petitioner, in a letter to Behera replied, “To start with, under the PMUY, a support of `1,600 per connection from the Government of India is being provided. The amount will cover deposit free lPG cylinder, pressure regulator, free Suraksha lPG hose, DGCO book and administrative charges as well. The beneficiary has to pay the cost of lPG stove and lPG only, for which facility of EMI is available.”
However, the Chief lPG Manager said, “The concerned State Government can contribute to the above scheme. But as on date, there is no such provision from the Government of Odisha.”
“If there is a Centre-State share to provide gas subsidy then why the Odisha Government is failing to provide its due share,” questions disability rights activist Behera.
‘What is the position of 3-per cent reservation meant for PWDs in PMUY as per the legal provision of Section 40 of the PWD Act 1995IJ” asks Behera.
He has urged Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to explore some ways and means by which the poor disabled house holders in Odisha could be entitled to get free lPG connections.