Benefits of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana
The unclean cooking fuel causes deaths which are mostly due to non-communicable diseases including heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer. Providing LPG connections to families below the poverty line ensures universal coverage of cooking gas in the country. The scheme also employs the rural youth in the supply chain of cooking gas.
The main beneficiaries of the scheme are women belonging to poor families not having an LPG connection in the household. Initially, the following categories were covered under the scheme by the Government:
- It provides five crore LPG connections to families below the poverty line.
- Financial support of Rs 1600 is provided by the scheme for each LPG connection for BPL households. The administrative cost of this support is borne by the Government. This subsidy is meant for the security fee for the cylinder, pressure regulator, booklet, safety hose, and other fitting charges.
- Under the scheme, oil marketing companies also provide interest-free loans for refilling and purchasing stoves.
- The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana covers all the BPL families that come under all forms of distributorship and distributes various sizes of cylinders (14.2 kg, 5 kg, etc.) as per the field situation.
- The benefits of this scheme are also available for the people of all Hilly States including the NE States (who are treated as ‘Priority States’).
- The scheme effectively addresses several difficulties faced by the people 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.
Objectives of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana
The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Scheme was initiated with a clear set of objectives. Following are the primary objectives of the scheme:
- To empower women, especially those hailing from socio-economically weaker sections of the society.
- To minimize health issues arising from the use of unclean fossil fuel and other fuel while cooking.
- To reduce and eventually control indoor as well as outdoor environmental pollution due to the use of fossil fuels that lead to various respiratory illnesses.
- To prevent degradation of the purity of the environment that is compromised by widespread usage of unclean cooking fuel.
Eligibility for Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana
The eligibility criteria for the scheme has been set that it will enable the inclusion of more and more households that can be benefitted by this scheme.
- The applicant must be a woman aged above 18 years. She must also be a citizen of India.
- The applicant has to belong to a below poverty line family or household.
- The overall monthly income of the family should not exceed a certain limit that is prescribed by the UT/State Governments.
- The name of the applicant has to be in the SECC (Socio-economic Caste Census) list of the year 2011 and all the details available therein have to match.
- The applicant should not be registered under any other similar scheme provided by the government.
Features and Benefits of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana
- As discussed above LPG connections are provided to 5 crore BPL families. It provides financial support of Rs 1600 for LPG connection, interest-free loan to purchase Hot Plate and refill by the Oil Marketing Companies. Rs 1600 administrative cost includes a cylinder, pressure regulator, booklet, safety hose, etc. that was managed by the Government.
- The revised scheme has also increased or expanded the cover by including the beneficiaries of various other government schemes like Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin), Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), Most Backward Classes (MBC), Tea and Ex-Tea Garden tribes, Forest dwellers, people residing in islands and rivers.
- Benefit under Covid-19 Relief Package or the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana are also extended to the PMUY scheme wherein over 8 crore beneficiaries of the scheme will be provided a total of 3 LPG gas cylinders for the period between April 2020 to June 2020. The cost for the 14.2 kg cylinders under the scheme will be borne by the government and provided free of cost to the beneficiaries.
How to apply for Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana?
- The application process under the scheme is very simple in order to ensure maximum participation and reach among the eligible citizens. The procedure for the same is detailed below.
- A woman of the BPL household, may apply for a new LPG connection (in the prescribed format) to the nearest LPG distributor.
- While submitting the application form, the woman needs to submit detailed address, Jandhan Bank Account and Aadhar number of all members of the household.
- The connection will be issued by the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to the eligible beneficiaries after processing the application.
- In case the consumer opts for EMI, the EMI amount will be adjusted against the subsidy amount due to the consumer on each refill.
