Amethi: 1000 LPG connections were distributed under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) today at Amethi. The dignitaries present on the occasion were Shri Prakash Javadekar, Hon’ble Minister of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India, Smt. Smriti irani, Hon’ble Minister of Textiles, Govt. of India and Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India.
Other distinguished guests included Shri K.D. Tripathy, Secretary, MoP&NG, senior officials from MoP&NG and Oil Industry.
In his address, Hon’ble Minister of Human Resource Development, Shri Prakash Javadekar said that the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana is an excellent scheme fulfilling the vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister to provide clean fuel to the BPL families and is a boon to women to experience cooking without smoke.
In her address, Hon’ble Minister of Textile, Smt Smriti Irani thanked Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge), MoP&NG for successfully implementing various Women Welfare oriented schemes to address the problems faced by women.
Addressing the large gathering, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Minister of State (I/C), MoPNG explained the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana and said that the scheme would impact the lives of women from BPL families in a major way by reducing the drudgery of cooking with polluting fuels and go a long way in reducing indoor pollution and other health related problems being faced by them. This scheme aims at providing, 5 Cr LPG connections to BPL households pan India in 3 years. The PMUY scheme is aimed at replacing the polluting cooking fuels mostly used in rural India with more clean and efficient LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas). The scheme aims at empowering women and protecting their health and reducing the number of deaths in India due to use of polluting cooking fuels. He said that the main mantra of PMUY is “Mahilaon Ko Mila Samman, Swacch Indhan-Behtar Jeevan”. He said that in the last two and half years, the number of LPG connections in Amethi have more than doubled to touch 2.0 lacs households. In the next two years the target is to ensure 100% penetration of LPG in the district.
Shri Pradhan also said that nearly 90 Lakh LPG connections have been released under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana in a short span of five and a half months since it’s national launch on 1st May 2016 at Balia, Uttar Pradesh. He also said that Petroleum Ministry is eyeing towards achieving the target of providing LPG connections in each and every household of Uttar Pradesh.
Distinguished speakers, in their address, emphasized the major change that PMUY would bring to the lifestyles of women from the BPL families. They lauded the efforts of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in implementing the Women Welfare oriented scheme and in fulfilling the dream of Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister in recognizing and addressing the problems faced by women.
Under the visionary leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has taken a series of people welfare oriented schemes. Hon’ble Prime Minister in his address on 27th March 2015 had made an appeal to well-to-do families to give up their subsidy on LPG connections so that the money thus saved can be utilized for giving connections to less privileged homes. Taking the appeal forward, MOP&NG launched the ‘Give It Up’ campaign and in little over an year’s time more than 1 crore people across the country from all walks of life, including those from middle class have come forward to support this initiative bringing smiles to a million homes. Another scheme by The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, under the guidance of Hon’ble Prime Minister, which had received worldwide recognition is the immensely successful “PAHAL Yojana”. This direct cash transfer scheme has brought an end to leakage of LPG subsidies which are now reaching people more effectively. The scheme has been highly effective in elimination of duplicate LPG connections. The “PAHAL” scheme has been acknowledged by the Guinness Book of World Records for being the largest cash transfer program (households) in the world. Currently, 16 crore LPG customers are receiving their subsidy directly in to their bank accounts.
With 2016 being declared as the ‘Year of Consumers’ by Mr.Dharmendra Pradhan, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has ensured that Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) offer customer centric offerings like Sahaj – the online booking and release of new connections, the online booking and payment for LPG refills, ‘1906’- the 24×7 LPG leakage Emergency telephone helpline, to name a few.
