15% LPG connections for poor lying dormant

Balwant Garg

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Tribune News Service

Faridkot, February 11

The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), a Centrally sponsored scheme, and Mata Khivi Rasoi Gas Abhiyan (MKRGA), a state government programme, has failed to deliver its promise of freeing poor households from more polluting and harmful methods of energy use.

A large number of the freely distributed LPG cylinders have not been refilled even once in the last 10 months in this area.

Of the total 11,534 LPG connections under the PMUY and 5,700 connections freely distributed under the MKRG in Faridkot district, about 15 per cent beneficiaries have not ordered a second refill during the last 10 months while 36 per cent of these beneficiaries have got just one or two refilling.

Many operators among all 17 LPG agencies in the district revealed that price factor, partial usage and greater dependence on firewood and dung cakes as a cooking fuel in the rural areas were the main reasons that acted as deterrents to the below poverty line (BPL) families for shifting to the LPG.

However, Atinder Kaur, district food and supply controller, Faridkot did not respond to the repeated phone calls. Meanwhile, the officials in the department said there was no official survey about these dormant LPG connections.

With 2017 being the election year, a subsidy of Rs 1,600 was given by the Centre per LPG connection under the PMUY and the Punjab Government had also distributed a gas stove worth Rs 990 to every beneficiary.

The state government also released Rs 50 crore to the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) on December 6, 2017, to distribute free of cost gas stoves to over 7 lakh BPL families in the state.

Also, over 4 lakh BPL families in the state have received LPG connections under the PMUY and the MKRGA before May 1, 2017.

Under the PMUY, it was mandatory that the name of the applicant should figure in the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) list of 2011. For it being an election year, the condition of the SECC was waived under the MKRGA in Punjab. This scheme was for priority households and Antyodaya families. It was started on December 31, 2017, four days before the promulgation of the election code.