Narendra Modi government’s flagship social welfare programme – Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) that promised to supply clean energy such as LPG connection free of cost to the rural households have successfully reduced 20% of the chest congestion faced by women. This was concluded in a study by the Indian Chest Society and Indian Chest Research Foundation.

PMUY Reduces Chest Congestion

Union Oil Minister – Dharmendra Pradhan, who has been spearheading the scheme since May 2016, on July 15 called the result of the Ujjwala Yojana as “the most satisfactory part of the scheme”.

While speaking in the parliament, the minister highlighting the successful distribution of the LPG gas to the needy ones, said that the scheme has helped the government to lift more than 27% poor above the Below Poverty Line (BPL).

Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha during Question Hour, the minister said, “Ujjwala scheme has set an example in the direction of making women empowered. It also impacts the environment as well as health and economic condition of the women.”

The scheme, which holds a record under the Guinness Book of World Record for the world’s most massive direct benefit transfer scheme, has more than seven crore beneficiaries. Pradhan, in his speech stressing on the favourable outcome of the yojana, said that around 86 % of the Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries have returned to buy the second cylinder. He also said to provide easy accessibility and availability of LPG to customers, Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have commissioned more than 9,000 LPG distributorships.

To encourage people to adopt LPG on a sustained basis, OMCs have taken multiple steps, said Pradhan. OMCs are now offering a swap facility to provide small 5 kg cylinder against 14.2 kg cylinder as per the requirement, educating beneficiaries of the advantages of the LPGs, launching an audio-visual media campaign to spread awareness, sending SMS to beneficiaries who have not returned for a refill, and placing hoardings at public places.

Currently, the top five states that have the highest number of PMUY connections are Uttar Pradesh – 1.35 crore, West Bengal – 81.65 lakh, Bihar – 79.69 lakh, Madhya Pradesh – 65.5 lakh, and Rajasthan – 58.95 lakh. The scheme had boosted the accessibility of the LPG gas to 94% in the country from 56% five years ago.

Also Read: Drop In Subsidised LPG By Rs 1.46 And Non-Subsidised LPG By Rs 30 A Cylinder