Learn about the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, which was launched to provide cylinder connections to women across the country. Amid allegations of rising cylinder prices, the central government has reduced domestic cylinder prices by Rs 200 for all consumers across the country. This has been approved by the Union cabinet headed by prime minister Modi. Whereas, Ujjwala cylinder users will get Rs 400 less on cylinder price. Already Rs.200 has been reduced for Ujjwala cylinder users. Therefore, they are reduced by a total of Rs.400 along with public notification. Also, on the occasion of rakshabandhan and Onam, the Union cabinet has also approved the provision of free gas connection to 75 lakh women under Prime Minister's Ujjwala scheme. As of now, there are 9.6 crore users across the country under the Ujjwala scheme.

What is Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana?

The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) scheme was launched by prime minister Modi on 1st May 2016. Under this scheme, gas connection and cylinders are provided to women of poor and below poverty line families. Now the Ujjwala 2.0 project is being implemented. In the budget statement for the financial year 2021-22, it was announced that an additional one crore cooking gas connections would be provided under the Prime Minister's Ujjwala scheme. The central government has provided 8 crore cooking gas connections from 2016 to 2019 as the first phase of Ujjwala Yojana. Under this scheme, implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, poor families are being provided fast gas connection.

Accordingly, the central government has informed that as on march 1, 2023, 9.59 crore people have benefited under the Prime Minister's Ujjwala scheme. In india, the poor had limited access to cooking gas (LPG). The use of LPG cylinders is in urban and secondary urban areas, mostly used by middle class and affluent households earlier. But the poor people used wood for cooking. The smoke emitted from it was causing great harm to health.

According to the World health Organization estimates, around 5 lakh people die in india alone due to impure cooking fuel. Most of these premature deaths were found to be caused by heart disease, stroke, chronic lung disease and lung cancer. Indoor air pollution is responsible for respiratory diseases in children. According to experts, cooking over an open fire in the kitchen is equivalent to burning 400 cigarettes an hour. It was in this context that the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana scheme was launched. Through this scheme, the Modi government has spent Rs 12800 crore to provide free gas connections to 8 crore women in the first phase. Also, loans are provided for purchase of stoves. More than 6.3 crore users availed this facility. Rs. More than 10100 crores have been disbursed. The central government has said that 5000 crore rupees are still with the beneficiaries due to the fact that the loan is interest-free and has relaxed repayment terms.

For providing Ujjwala 2.0 project links, the government has allocated Rs. 2500 crores spent. Also, to provide free refills and free stoves to Ujjwala beneficiaries, Rs. More than 3200 crores have been spent. 12 cylinders per year for below poverty line families at Rs. 200 subsidy has been started by the government. The government has spent more than 6000 crores in 2022-23 for this. 7500 crore will be spent this year. As a result of the Ujjwala scheme, the number of LPG users in the country has increased from 55.9 per cent in 2014 to 105.1 per cent in april 2023.

During the Corona Pandemic, the Pradhan Madiri Garib kalyan Yojana scheme was launched in 2020. Under this scheme, Rs.9670.41 crore has been allocated to Ujjwala beneficiaries. Through this, 14.17 LPG cylinders were filled and supplied to the beneficiaries. Also, the data shows that after the implementation of this program, the health problems of women have reduced significantly and their health has improved significantly.

Who can apply for Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Scheme?

Scheduled Tribes, Prime Minister's Awas Yojana, Most Backward Classes, Antyodaya Anna Yojana categories, Tea and Ex-Tea Plantation Tribes, Forest Dwellers, Islanders and River Islanders, women belonging to SECC families are eligible to apply under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Scheme.