Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana

Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana is a social welfare scheme which was initiated by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas to provide stable LPG connections for women from households which fall Below the Poverty Line (BPL). The scheme was launched on the 1st of May, 2016 by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and it aims to create a smoke-free rural India. The spread of LPG cylinders has been predominant only in the urban and semi-urban areas which cover the middle class and affluent households. However, the lower class families do not gain any access to such measures. Thus, providing LPG connections to BPL households will ensure uniform distribution of cooking gas in the country.

Objectives

The objectives behind the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana is enlisted as follows,

Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana was put into practice with a vision to reduce or rather eradicate cooking based on fossil fuels in rural areas of the Country.
With reference to the statistical report of World Health Organization (WHO), nearly five lakh citizens of India die due inhaling the emission from dirty cooking fuels.
And it is stated that most of such premature deaths were caused due to non-communicable diseases like heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke and lung cancer.
A significant number of acute respiratory illness is also caused by Indoor air pollution amidst young children.
In order to nullify this, the Central Government has implemented the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana to empower and protect the women of the country.
This Scheme also provides employment opportunities for rural youth in the supply chain of cooking gas.

Salient Features of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana

The Indian Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has decided to allocate INR 8000 Crore for the next three years with regards to PMUY.
The Scheme aims to provide almost five crore LPG connections for the households below the poverty line by the fiscal year of 2019-2020.
The identification of these families will be made in consultation with the State Governments and the Union Territories.
On completion of the selection process, the priority would still be given to the SC/ST and other weaker sections of the society.
Release of the LPG connection under this Scheme is done in the name of the woman belonging to the family along with financial assistance of INR 1600
The budget speech of 2016 has announced about the Scheme and has also made a budgetary provision of INR 2000 Crore towards it.
The implementation of this Scheme is scheduled over three years, namely, the financial year 2016-2017, 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 across the country.

Categories under the Scheme

The Central Government has also decided to endorse the following categories under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana in order to avail its benefits.

All SC/ST household beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)
Antyodaya Anna Yojana
Most Backward Classes
Tea & Ex-Tea Garden Tribes
Forest dwellers
People residing on Islands
People living on River Islands

Expansion of Beneficiaries

On the month of December 2018, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) cleared the proposal of Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas to release deposit free LPG connections unto economically weaker families who were not considered in the earlier release of beneficiaries towards Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. These individuals are taken into account with a criterion that their names have not been covered either in the Social-Economic Caste Census (SECC) list or in any one of the seven identified categories listed earlier. With such measures, it is possible for families who do not avail LPG connection under PMUY to avail the same on fulfilling the eligibility norms and furnishing the required documents.

Benefits of PMUY

Under the Scheme, nearly five crore LPG connections are being provided to households below the poverty level.
The Scheme also provides financial support of INR 1600 for each LPG connection to the households below the poverty level.
This includes a cylinder, booklet, pressure regulator, safety hose, etc. which would also be borne by the Government.
Interest-free loans in order to purchase a stove and refill it by Oil Marketing companies are also provided.

Application Procedure

A woman of the BPL household, which does not have access to LPG connection may apply for a new LPG connection by filling the application form available in the official website. Step 1: To download the application form click here. Step 2: The page displays PMUY forms in three different languages. Select the language of convenience and download the form Step 3: The PMUY form for availing loan on Refill or LPG Stove is displayed.

PMUY Application Form Step 4: Under the Consumer details tab, specify the complete name of the applicant, followed by that the AHL TIN which is indetifed in the SECC list has to be entered. Step 5: Tick the appropriate box based on which you are applying for the loan. Step 6: Now, acknowledge to the declaration statement by mentioning the age and address of residence. Finally, sign the form along with the date and place to complete it.

After this, while submitting the application form, the applicant is expected to provide details such as Address Proof, Bank Account details and Aadhar number (if in case the Aadhar number is not available, required measures would be taken in coordination with UIDAI for the issuing of Aadhar number to the woman of BPL household applying for PMUY)
The LPG Field officials will cross-check the application against SECC - 2011 database and, after ascertaining their BPL status, they will enter the details (name, address etc.) into a dedicated Web portal through a login/ password given.
Now, the Government undertakes the de-duplication exercise and other measures for due diligence for a new LPG connection electronically.
The Government shall issue the connection to the eligible beneficiaries (after completion of various stages above).
While the Government would also bear the connection charges, they would also provide an option for the new consumers to opt for EMIs, if desired, to cover the cost of a cooking stove and the initial refill.
The EMI amount to be paid by the beneficiary may be recovered by the Government from the subsidy paid by the consumer on each refill. In case, the State Government / voluntary organization or an individual wishes to contribute to the cost of a stove and first refill, they would be free to do so in coordination with the Government norms.
However, this would be under the roof of PMUY, and no other Scheme name or tagline would be allowed without expressing any approval from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoP&NG).
The Government also organizes various melas' at different locations for the release of connections to BPL families. This will be done in the presence of public representatives and distinguished personalities of the area.
The Scheme will cover the poverty-stricken families under all forms of distributorship and for various sizes of cylinders (like 14.2 kg, 5 kg, etc.) depending on the field situation.
Benefits under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana has been extended to people of all Hilly States including the North-Eastern States by treating them as 'Priority States'.
This step will effectively address the difficulty faced by poor people residing in the States of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Tripura in accessing LPG for cooking purposes.

For further information about Pradhan Mantri Ujjwan Yojana, contact the tollfree number 18002333555 or 1906 (24/7 Helpline for LPG Consumers) or visit the official website.