State Launch of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) and Direct Benefit Transfer in PDS Kerosene Scheme (DBTK) in Ranchi, Jharkhand
New Delhi 20-Oct-2016
The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), the scheme of giving LPG connections to women of BPL families was launched today at Ranchi. The scheme was launched by Sh. Raghubar Das, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Jharkhand in the presence of Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India.
Shri Sudarshan Bhagat, Hon'ble Minister of State, Agriculture & Family Welfare, Govt. of India, Shri Saryu Rai, Hon'ble Minister, Food & Consumer Affairs, Jharkhand, Sh. Ram Tahal Choudhary, Hon’ble MP (Ranchi), Sh. Naveen Jaiswal, Hon’ble MLA, Ms. Rajbala Verma, Chief Secretary, Jharkhand, Shri Ashutosh Jindal, Joint Secretary (Marketing), MoP&NG, also graced the occasion. Other distinguished guests included MLAs, senior officials from MoPNG, Oil Industry and State Government. Beneficiaries from the state were handed over LPG connections and DBTK subsidy cheques by the dignitaries from the dais.
In his address, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Shri Raghubar Das said that the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana is an excellent scheme fulfilling the vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister to provide clean fuel to the BPL families and is a boon to women to experience cooking without smoke. He thanked Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge), MoP&NG for accepting his suggestion of commencing this scheme along with the launch of scheme of transfer of subsidy for Kerosene in Jharkhand. He spoke about various initiatives started by Govt. of Jharkhand for women empowerment.
Addressing the large gathering, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Minister of State (I/C), MoPNG explained the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana and said that the scheme would impact the lives of women from BPL families in a major way by reducing the drudgery of cooking with polluting fuels and go a long way in reducing indoor pollution and other health related problems being faced by them. This scheme aims at providing, 5 Cr LPG connections to BPL households pan India in 3 years. The PMUY scheme is aimed at replacing the polluting cooking fuels mostly used in rural India with more clean and efficient LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas). The scheme aims at empowering women and protecting their health and reducing the number of deaths in India due to use of polluting cooking fuels. He said that the main mantra of PMUY is “Mahilaon Ko Mila Samman, Swacch Indhan-Behtar Jeevan”.
Shri Pradhan also said that over 80 Lakh LPG connections have been released under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana in a short span of 6 months since it’s national launch on 1st May 2016 at Balia, Uttar Pradesh. He praised the Jharkhand Govt. for making it first state to launch the Direct Benefit Transfer in PDS Kerosene (DBTK) and said that Jharkhand has presented a model which will save subsidy to the tune of approx Rs. 700 crore annually. He informed that nearly 6 lac new LPG connections were released in the state of Jharkhand in last two years which was only 14 lac till 2014. He also informed that LPG penetration in Jharkhand will be augmented to nearly 70% in next three years out of which nearly 8 lac new LPG connections will be released in FY 2016-17. He also informed that with the investment of around 50,000 cr, a gas pipeline from Allahabd to Haldia is being laid which will pass through Jharkhand. He informed that fertilizer plants at Sindri, Barauni, Gorakhpur will be revived with the help of PSUs like NFL, NTPC, Coal India and IndianOil.
Distinguished speakers, in their address, emphasized the major change that PMUY would bring to the lifestyles of women from the BPL families. They lauded the efforts of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in implementing the Women Welfare oriented scheme and in fulfilling the dream of Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister in recognizing and addressing the problems faced by women.
Under the visionary leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has taken a series of people welfare oriented schemes. Hon’ble Prime Minister in his address on 27th March 2015 had made an appeal to well-to-do families to give up their subsidy on LPG connections so that the money thus saved can be utilized for giving connections to less privileged homes. Taking the appeal forward, MOP&NG launched the ‘Give It Up’ campaign and in little over an year’s time more than 1 crore people across the country from all walks of life, including those from middle class have come forward to support this initiative bringing smiles to a million homes. Another scheme by The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, under the guidance of Hon’ble Prime Minister, which had received worldwide recognition is the immensely successful "PAHAL Yojana”. This direct cash transfer scheme has brought an end to leakage of LPG subsidies which are now reaching people more effectively. The scheme has been highly effective in elimination of duplicate LPG connections. The "PAHAL" scheme has been acknowledged by the Guinness Book of World Records for being the largest cash transfer program (households) in the world. Currently, 16 crore LPG customers are receiving their subsidy directly in to their bank accounts.
With 2016 being declared as the ‘Year of Consumers’ by Mr.Dharmendra Pradhan, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has ensured that Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) offer customer centric offerings like Sahaj – the online booking and release of new connections, the online booking and payment for LPG refills, ‘1906’- the 24x7 LPG leakage Emergency telephone helpline, to name a few.
