Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana Launched in Karnataka at Hubballi

HUBBALLI:
Ananth Kumar, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Chemicals & Fertilizers, and Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Petroleum & Natural Gas, launched Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana at Hubballi, Karnataka today in the presence of BS Yeddyurappa, MP & ex-Chief Minister, Govt. of Karnataka, Jagadish Shettar, Leader of Opposition & ex-Chief Minister, Government of Karnataka, and Pralhad V Joshi, MP & Chairman, Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Gas.
The other dignitaries who were present on the occasion include Ramesh C Jigajinagi, Minister of State, Ministry of Drinking water & Sanitation, GOI, U.T. Khader, Minister of Food & Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Govt. of Karnataka, Vinay R Kulkarni, District-in-charge Minister, Dharwad, Government of Karnataka, H K Patil, Minister of Rural Development & Panchayat Raj, Government of Karnataka, Santosh S Lad, Minister of Labour, Government of Karnataka, Dr. Prabhakar Kore, MP (Rajya Sabha), Suresh C Angadi, MP (Lok Sabha), P C Gaddigoudar, MP (Lok Sabha), Shivakumar C Udasi, MP (Lok Sabha), Govind Karjol, MLA, K M Mahesh, Deputy Secretary (LPG) Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Y K Gupta, Executive Director (LPG) Indian Oil Corporation Limited, S Varadachari, State Level Coordinator – Karnataka and Executive Director – Indian Oil Corporation Limited, R.P.Natekar, Executive Director (LPG) Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, Ajit Singh, Executive Director (LPG) Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited.
During the event, 30 PMUY beneficiaries were handed over security deposit free LPG connections from the three oil marketing companies by the Ministers. 19 LPG customers who had voluntarily given up their LPG subsidy under the ‘Give It Up’ scheme were felicitated with Thank You cards signed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi appreciating their laudable effort.
About PMUY
India is home to more than 24 crore households out of which about 10 crore households are still deprived of LPG as cooking fuel and have to rely on firewood, coal, dung cakes etc as primary source of cooking. The smoke from burning such fuels causes alarming household pollution and adversely affects the health of Women & children causing several respiratory diseases/disorders. As per a WHO report, smoke inhaled by women from unclean fuel is equivalent to burning 400 cigarettes in an hour. In addition, women and children have to go through the drudgery of collecting firewood.
Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) aims to safeguard the health of women & children by providing them with a clean cooking fuel – LPG, so that they don’t have to compromise their health in smoky kitchens or wander in unsafe areas collecting firewood.
Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana was first launched in India by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 1st May, 2016 in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh. Under this scheme, 5 Cr LPG connections will be provided to socially and economically backward households with a support of Rs. 1600 per connection in the next 3 years. Ensuring women’s empowerment, especially in rural India, the connections will be issued in the name of women of the households. Rs. 8000 Cr. has been allocated towards the implementation of the scheme. Identification of the socially and economically backward households will be done through Socio Economic Caste Census Data.
PMUY is likely to result in an additional employment of around 1 Lakh and provide business opportunity of at least Rs.10,000 Cr. over the next 3 years to the Indian Industry. Launch of this scheme will also provide a great boost to the ‘Make in India’ campaign as all the manufacturers of cylinders, gas stoves, regulators and gas hose are domestic.
The launch of PMUY in Ballia was followed by launch of the scheme in Dahod in Gujarat by Minister of State for Petroleum & Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan & BJP President Amit Shah. PMUY has also been launched in several districts of UP, Bihar, and Odisha.