UJJWALA YOJNA 2.O

The Ujjwala Yojana/Scheme launched in 2016 has been extended with even more benefits added to it. PM Modi launched the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana 2.0 in which he declared over 1 crore Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) connections to women beneficiaries; via a video conferencing in Mahoba district of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday.

What is Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY)?

PMUY was launched by the Government of India on 1st May, 2016 with the aim to safeguard the health of women and children by providing them with clean cooking fuel.

It intended to provide gas (LPG) connections to five crore women members of below poverty line (BPL) households in the first phase.

The scheme was expanded in April 2018 to include women beneficiaries from seven more categories (SC/ST, PMAY, AAY, Most backward classes, tea garden, forest dwellers, Islands). In the second phase, the target has been expanded to eight crores LPG connections.

Initially, the scheme proposed to provide Rs 1,600 per household to cover security deposit for a 14.2 kg cylinder as well as a regulator & a stove to women of BPL families.

The launch of this scheme was intended to provide a boost to the ‘Make in India’ campaign. The main mantra of this scheme was - Swacch Indhan, Behtar Jeevan – Mahilaon ko Mila Samman (Clean Fuel, Better Life).

PMUY has been recognised by World Health Organisation as one of the decisive interventions by the government to address Indoor Air Pollution, which accounts for nearly 10 lakh deaths in a year in the country.

UJJWALA SCHEME 2.0

● Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced the extension of the scheme, during the union budget 2021-22, to 1 crore new beneficiaries.

● In the first phase of the scheme, 1,47,43,862 LPG connections were made available to the poor families of the state.

● Under Ujjwala 2.0, the Modi government will distribute about 1 crore gas connections in this financial year to the poor along with a free refill and a stove.

● Those families who were left out in the first phase of the Ujjwala scheme will be benefited in the second phase.

ELIGIBILITY

-The applicant must be a woman.

- The age of the woman should be more than 18 years.

- She must be from a BPL family & have a BPL card and ration card.

- There should not be an LPG Connection in the name of any family member of the applicant.

HOW TO APPLY

Offline mode :

Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana application can be made offline mode by filling and submitting the application form at the nearest LPG distribution agency.

Online mode:

 In the online mode, the applicant can go to the official website pmujjwalayojana.com and download the form and submit the form at the nearest LPG centre.

BENEFITS :

1. Migrant workers can now skip address proofs for LPG connection.

2. Beneficiaries will get the first refill and a hotplate free of cost along with the LPG connections.

3. The enrollment procedure will require minimal paperwork.

4. Deposit-free LPG connections to those low-income families who could not be covered under the earlier phase of PMUY.

AFFECT ON THE MAJORITY

● After the Ujjwala scheme was introduced, LPG coverage grew at a quick pace and reached almost all households by April 2019.

● A large number of dormant cylinders have been diverted for commercial use.

● A large part of the population has shifted from traditional fuels to LPG, since the inception of this scheme; which has led to a significant improvement in their health conditions.

● The step-in itself is a great initiative to reduce the crisis of indoor pollution.

Relevant for people above BPL

Those who are lucky enough to be above BPL must know their role in spreading this information to those who are unaware of the benefit they all can gain through this yojana. They must be spreading awareness about indoor pollution and motivate people to use LPG instead of traditional fuels.

                                                   By - Damini