Ujjwala Yojana leading to better health of Indian women: PM
What's the story
PM Narendra Modi on Monday said ten crore LPG connections, including four crore free connections to poor women, were given in last four years, compared to 13 crore connections in six decades since Independence. While video-conferencing with some of women beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, Modi recounted his own childhood when his mother struggled with smoke emitting from cooking on firewood.
The Aim
Ujjwala Yojana strengthened lives of poor, the marginalized, Dalits: PM
"Ujjwala Yojana has strengthened the lives of the poor, marginalized, Dalits, and tribals. This initiative is playing a central role in social empowerment," Modi said. The scheme aims to provide in next three years as many as five crore free cooking gas connections to women from extremely poor households, aimed at reducing the use of polluting fuels such as wood and dried cow dung.
Do you know?
Use of wood as fuel causes 1.3 million premature deaths
According to the World Health Organization, the use of polluting fuels such as wood and dried cow dung cause 1.3 million premature deaths in India every year.
Dalits
Government working for empowerment of Dalits: PM
45% of the four crore free LPG connections given under Ujwalla are to Dalits, Modi said. The Prime Minister added more than 1,200 petrol pumps have been given to Dalit families since 2014 as compared to 445 retail outlets given to such families during 2010-2014 during the UPA regime. Similarly, 1,300 families got LPG distributorship as compared to 900 in the previous years.
Transparency
Government not indulging in middlemen, enforcing transparency
The government, he said, is very serious in eliminating middlemen and so the beneficiary list has been made transparent. Apart from those included under socio-economic caste census (SECC), the extended Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana would now cover all SC/ST households, most backward classes, beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin), Antyoday Anna Yojana, forest dwellers, and people residing in the river and river islands.
Interaction
Modi asks women to give healthy food to children
In his interaction with women beneficiaries from different states, Modi asked them if they were getting LPG refills on time and if any middlemen were asking for money. He asked them about their experience of using LPG and how it saved them time. He also asked women to give healthy and nutritious food to their kids and not just rely on junk food.
Information
Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana
Under the scheme, the government provides a subsidy of Rs. 1,600 to state-owned fuel retailers for every free LPG gas connection that they install in poor rural households without one. This subsidy is intended to cover the security fee for the cylinder and fitting charges.