Published: 14th Feb, 2019
Context
Recently, The government gave out the 6-crores free cooking gas (LPG) connection under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana( PMUY) which aims to make available cleaner fuel to the people in need.
About
- It was launched on May 1, 2016, with a target to give 5 crore connections by March 2019 which was achieved well before the target period.
- This is the first welfare scheme that the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is implementing benefitting crores of women belonging to the poorest households.
- Revised target has been raised to 8 crore connections by 2021 and now envisages giving all households a connection.
- Universal PMUY now covers release of LPG connections to all poor on account of their names not been covered in earlier identified categories like identified through Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC) list
- In case the names are not appearing in the SECC list, beneficiaries are identified from categories i.e. SC/STs households, beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY (Gramin), Antodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) etc.
- LPG Panchayats are being observed to promote learning through peer group interaction - Kuch Seekhein, Kuch Sikhayein, where apart from experience sharing, it also aims at safe and sustained usage of LPG.
Outcomes of Implementing PMUY
- It has resulted in significant increase in national LPG coverage, in general and Eastern States, in particular.
- The scheme has resulted in mass coverage of rural poor households and 48% of the beneficiaries are SC/STs.
- While 74% beneficiaries under the scheme, who could not afford to make upfront payment for purchase of gas stove and first refill, were provided loan facility by the OMCs.
- Under the PMUY the average per capita consumption is 3.28.
- PMUY implementation has been appreciated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and termed it as a decisive intervention to check the indoor health pollution being faced by the women of the country.
Need for LPG Connections
- There are serious health hazards associated with cooking based on fossil fuels. According to WHO estimates, about 5 lakh deaths in India alone due to unclean cooking fuels. Most of these premature deaths were due to non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer.
- Indoor air pollution is also responsible for a significant number of acute respiratory illnesses in young children. According to experts, having an open fire in the kitchen is like burning 400 cigarettes an hour.
- The spread of LPG cylinders has been predominantly in the urban and semi-urban areas with the coverage mostly in middle class and affluent households.
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