New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi ‘Second Edition’ may launch on August 10Ujjwala‘, his government’s flagship social welfare program to provide poor families access to clean cooking fuel, a few months before the crucial UP assembly elections.
Modi launched the scheme in May 2016 from Ballia district of UP, a move that fueled the BJP’s rise to power in the state the following year and the party’s appeal among economically weaker sections of society across the country. be extended.
Ujjwala is designed to improve the lives of women in poor households kitchen gas Connection free. The scheme helped increase LPG coverage to 91% in the country and provided a gateway to provide relief to the poor after last year’s lockdown.
The entire cost of an LPG cylinder was transferred in advance to the bank accounts of 8.3 crore beneficiaries by the 4th of every month till June last year so that they could buy three free refills under a special package.
Now, Ujjwala 2 The target is to provide free LPG connections in two years to one crore families who are poorer than those covered under the first phase. The second phase comes with liberalized address or identity proof requirements to help categories like migrants, who make up a large chunk of voters in states like UP, Bihar and Bengal.
The second phase was announced in Budget 20201 but no fund was allocated. But oil ministry officials said the fuel subsidy allocation of Rs 14,073 crore should cover the cost of Rs 1,600 each connection under Ujjwala 2.
In the first phase, eight crore poor families were to be covered by March 2020. But the target was achieved seven months ahead of the deadline, largely due to a personal push by the then Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The scheme was started with the poor families in the socio-economic caste census. In February 2018, it expanded its scope to include all SC/ST families, Most Backward Classes, PM Awas Yojana (Rural), Antyodaya Anna Yojana, forest dwellers, tea garden workers and people living on islands. had gone.
But despite the government’s focus, cylinder usage among Ujjwala beneficiaries has gone up to around four per year as against 7-8 refills among general category consumers due to price and delivery issues. However, officials say that due to being traditional, less use is more.
Modi launched the scheme in May 2016 from Ballia district of UP, a move that fueled the BJP’s rise to power in the state the following year and the party’s appeal among economically weaker sections of society across the country. be extended.
Ujjwala is designed to improve the lives of women in poor households kitchen gas Connection free. The scheme helped increase LPG coverage to 91% in the country and provided a gateway to provide relief to the poor after last year’s lockdown.
The entire cost of an LPG cylinder was transferred in advance to the bank accounts of 8.3 crore beneficiaries by the 4th of every month till June last year so that they could buy three free refills under a special package.
Now, Ujjwala 2 The target is to provide free LPG connections in two years to one crore families who are poorer than those covered under the first phase. The second phase comes with liberalized address or identity proof requirements to help categories like migrants, who make up a large chunk of voters in states like UP, Bihar and Bengal.
The second phase was announced in Budget 20201 but no fund was allocated. But oil ministry officials said the fuel subsidy allocation of Rs 14,073 crore should cover the cost of Rs 1,600 each connection under Ujjwala 2.
In the first phase, eight crore poor families were to be covered by March 2020. But the target was achieved seven months ahead of the deadline, largely due to a personal push by the then Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The scheme was started with the poor families in the socio-economic caste census. In February 2018, it expanded its scope to include all SC/ST families, Most Backward Classes, PM Awas Yojana (Rural), Antyodaya Anna Yojana, forest dwellers, tea garden workers and people living on islands. had gone.
But despite the government’s focus, cylinder usage among Ujjwala beneficiaries has gone up to around four per year as against 7-8 refills among general category consumers due to price and delivery issues. However, officials say that due to being traditional, less use is more.
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