New Delhi: MOPNG, Govt. of India introduced ‘Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana’ (PMUY) for which budgetary provision of Rs.12,800 crore has been provided for releasing 5 Crores LPG connections to women member of BPL households by March’19 and additional 3 Crore LPG connections by March 2020. The scheme was formally launched by Hon’ble PM Sh. Narendra Modi at Balia, Uttar Pradesh on 01.05.16.
Industry has crossed 5 Crore mark during August ’18 which was 8 months ahead of schedule.
Since inception till 15.12.18, Industry released more than 5.8 crore LPG connections on all India basis under the scheme. In Odisha, a total 35.36 lakhs of beneficiaries have been provided with LPG connection under the scheme till date (24 Dec 2018). A press meet organised by Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) in this regard today was addressed by Shri Pritish Bharat, SLC (Odisha) for MoPNG & CGM I/C, IOCL, Odisha, Shri Dharmendra Behura, DGM (LPG), HPCL, Odisha, Shri Sanjay Sharma, State Head (LPG), BPCL-Odisha and Jharkhand, Shri Sanjay Kumar Jha, GM (LPG), IOCL, Odisha.This year in March 2018, the categories of beneficiaries under PMUY was expanded to cover 7 new categories viz SC/STs households, beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) (Gramin), Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), Forest dwellers, Most Backward Classes (MBC), Tea & Ex-Tea Garden Tribes, people residing in Islands / river islands.Recently, in order to give universal access of clean cooking fuel LPG in the country the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister, has given a latest decision to release deposit free LPG connections to poor families, who were not getting considered earlier for release of LPG connections under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) on account of their names not appearing either in Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) list or the seven identified categories i.e. SC/STs households, beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana(PMAY) (Gramin), Antyodaya Anna Yojana(AAY), Forest dwellers, Most Backward Classes (MBC), Tea & Ex-Tea Garden Tribes, people residing in Islands / river islands.Now, the poor households who were deprived to avail the scheme benefits for want of not appearing in SECC list or not able to certify their eligibility in the seven categories; can avail the scheme benefits by submitting the KYC alongwith Aadhaar and bank account details of applicant, aadhaar details of adult family members, Ration Card and 14 point exclusion criteria declaration as per SECC.PMUY is a revolution which has removed smoke from the kitchens of the poor households in the country by providing them accessibility to clean cooking fuel LPG and making it one of the largest social inclusion initiative ever.
• The scheme has resulted in mass coverage of rural poor households and has led to improved state LPG coverage. Today Odisha has covered 74.20 lakhs of households with LPG as cooking fuel and State LPG coverage stands at 69.4 % on 01.12.2018 as against earlier coverage of 20 % as on 01.04.16. • 80.2 % beneficiaries under Ujjwala scheme, who could not afford to make upfront payment for purchase of gas stove and first refill, were provided loan facility by the OMCs. The scheme has catered to socio-economically weaker society including around 52 % beneficiaries from SC/ST category. • It is significant to mention that 81 % of PMUY beneficiaries in entire Odisha have comeback for refill of LPG cylinder after the connection released and the average per capita consumption of PMUY is 2.5 cyls. The other benefits (Socio-Economic Impact) of the scheme can be seen as:
1. A large number of rural poor households using conventional cooking fuels such as firewood/agriculture waste/ biomass/kerosene are switching to clean cooking fuel LPG. By use of clean cooking fuel LPG the indoor household pollution from the kitchens is removed. 2. Significant direct health benefits for women and their families as a result of reducing exposure to household air pollution from burning of solid fuels and kerosene. 3. Reduction in emissions of pollutants such as methane, black carbon and organic carbon released by inefficient solid fuel stoves, with the first two species contributing to global warming 4. Less pressure on forests, where wood fuel including charcoal use is harvested non-renewably and contributing to loss of forests; 5. Reduction in women and child labour time in fuel collection and cooking, opening up opportunities for alternative engagement in education, other productive labour and social activities; 6. The opportunity to increase societal benefit from global LPG use, given that LPG is abundant.
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