The target of giving 1 crore additional LPG cylinder connections under the Ujjwala 2.0 scheme is set to be achieved by the end of the year, within five months of the scheme’s second edition being launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The count stood at nearly 96 lakh on December 24 and the states of West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have accounted for over half of the connections given out under Ujjwala 2.0. While over 20 lakh connections have been given out in Trinamool Congress-ruled West Bengal, over 15 lakh connections apiece have been given to beneficiaries in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.
PM Narendra Modi had launched Ujjwala 2.0 from Mahoba, Uttar Pradesh on August 10. Earlier, 8 crore LPG connections were issued under Ujjwala 1.0 scheme.
The Ujjwala 1.0 scheme was also launched from UP by the PM in 2016 and was seen as a game-changer for the BJP in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections as well as the general elections in 2019.
Under Ujjwala 2.0, beneficiaries have been given deposit-free LPG connections along with free first refill and stove. “The target of 1 crore connections to be achieved in less than five months shows the popularity of the scheme, especially among the women. Also, this has been achieved during the time of the pandemic,” a senior official told News18.com.
The gas connection is given in the name of the woman member of poor households. The Ujjwala 2.0 scheme was launched by the PM to cover low-income families who could not be covered under the Ujjwala 1.0 scheme.
The Ujjwala 1.0 scheme’s target of 8 crore connections was also achieved seven months ahead of the target date, in August 2019.
Under Ujjwala 2.0 scheme, a special provision was also made for migrant families to avail new LPG connections given the Covid-19 pandemic, with them being given an option to submit a self-declaration which was accepted as valid proof of address/family composition.
A key charge by the Opposition against the Ujjwala scheme has been people not coming for refills given the rising cost of cylinders. However, the government says that in the current financial year, 84% of the Ujjwala beneficiaries who got the connections under Ujjwala 1.0, have come back for a refill.
The average consumption by these beneficiaries has also risen to 4.39 refills in 2020-21 compared to only three refills in 2019-20, the government says.
The Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have deferred loan recovery from subsidy amount of Ujjwala beneficiaries and other steps to encourage better consumption.
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