Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that his Government had achieved the target of 8 crore LPG connections under the “Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana” seven months ahead of the targeted date.
Addressing a state-level Mahila Saksham Melava or Empowered Women’s Meet of Self Help Groups, organized by Maharashtra State Rural Livelihood Mission (UMED) at Aurangabad, the Prime Minister said: “ We have achieved our target of distributing 8 crore LPG connections under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana seven months ahead of the targeted date. In Maharashtra alone, 44 lakh Ujjwala connections have been given”
Saluting his colleagues who made this possible, Modi said: “We were able to achieve it due to our concern for the health of women suffering from the smoke emanated by chullahs.” He complimented the empowered women present for their contribution towards empowering themselves and their communities through Self-Help Groups.
The Prime Minister said that the Aurangabad Industrial City (AURIC), an audio visual presentation of which was made at the function, would become an important part of the Aurangabad town and an important industrial centre of the country in the near future.
“Aurangabad is an important segment of Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor as well. The firms investing in AURIC will create a lot of jobs as well,” the Prime Minister said.
Speaking about the manner in which the Government had gone about giving LPG connections to poor and needy people, he said: “we not only gave LPG connections, we created a holistic infrastructure comprising 10,000 new LPG distributors, mostly in rural India”
“New bottling plants have been built. Terminal capacity near ports has been increased and pipeline network has been widened. 5-kg cylinders are being promoted. Piped gas is also being delivered. We want to ensure that not a single household remains without LPG connection,” he said Alluding to the Jal Jeevan Mission, Modi said that the projection had been launched in order to free women from the trouble of having to toil hard to fetch water. “Jal Jeevan Mission involves saving water and delivering water at one’s doorstep. The Government will spend Rs 3.5 lakh crore for this, in the next five years”.
Recalling Shri Ram Manohar Lohia’s statement that toilet and water were the two biggest problems faced by Indian women, the PM said that if these two issues were resolved, women could then lead the country. “Marathwada region is going to benefit in a big way from Jal Jeevan Mission. The first water grid in the country will be made in Marathwada; this will increase water availability in the region,” he said.
Speaking about other initiatives for the empowerment of women’s Self Help Groups, the PM said: “Under MUDRA scheme, one woman in every SHG will get a loan of 1 lakh rupees; this will h+elp them start new ventures and grow their business. Loans worth 20 crore rupees have been distributed till now, out of which 14 crore rupees were given to women. Maharashtra has 1.5 crore MUDRA beneficiaries, 1.25 crore out of which are women”.
Highlighting the role of women in ushering positive social change, the Prime Minister told the women gasthering: “You are an important driver of social change. Many steps have been taken for saving girl child, educating and protecting her. We need to make changes in societal outlook, the role of women is important in this. Muslim women are being saved from the bad practice of teen talaaq. You have to create awareness about this”.
The Prime Minister spoke about his government’s various achievements, including and decisions, including Aajeevika – National Rural Livelihoods Mission that creates earning opportunities for women, the move to declare India as Open Defecation Free, pucca homes for everyone by 2022.
Stressing that the Government did not want to work in silos but wants to bring all schemes together for development, the PM expressed hope that the people would contribute to the success of Government schemes.
The Prime Minister unveiled a book titled “Transforming Rural Maharashtra” on the occasion. Maharashtra Governor of Maharashtrai Bhagat Singh Koshyari; Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Union Minister for Commerce & Industry and Railways Piyush Goyal; State Minister for Rural Development, Women & Child Development, Pankaja Munde and state Industries Minister Subhash Desai were among those present at the function.