LPG scheme: Poor get cylinders, no hotplates

Avneet Kaur

Jalandhar, July 16

Launched with fanfare in November last year, the Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Ujwala Yojana (PMUY) and its parallel state-run scheme Mata Khiwi Rasoi Ghar Abhiyan (MKRGA) are not in sync with each other.

While the Central scheme provided for free LPG cylinders and regulators to the beneficiaries under the Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC), hotplates were to be given by the state.

The scheme to benefit about 12.5 families of the state had been launched simultaneously by the Centre and the state during a function attended by Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan and the then Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal at Kairon village in Tarn Taran.

Since the Central scheme only covered the beneficiaries as per the 2011 Census, the state had announced to cover BPL families not included in it and had announced LPG cylinders as well as hotplates from its side. However, no budgetary provision has been made this fiscal to run the MKRGA.

Principal Secretary, Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, KAP Sinha, said, “Last year, the department spent Rs 50 crore of which Rs 25 crore was for the PMUY scheme and remaining for the MKRGA. This year, we need Rs 155 crore for which a proposal is being sent to the Finance Department for the budgetary allocation,” he added.

Sources said presently, only the PMUY scheme is operational and the oil companies are sending cylinders and regulators to the beneficiaries, sans hotplates.

Rakesh Sharma, Chief Area Manager, Indian Oil Company, said, “Since March, the distribution of hotplates has stopped. We are only releasing new connections to people with a cylinder and a regulator.”