Chowdhary Zulfikar Ali, Minister of Food supply and metrological department launched Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana scheme in Ladakh. The free gas connection was distributed to the Below Poverty Line people on October 19 at Shenam Community hall.

Through PMUY scheme the mission of the government is to cover all BPL women to save them from health hazard. The gas connection is given in the name of the mother or the girl above 18 years in the family. 

Chowdhary Zulfikar Ali said according to the World Health Organization 5 Lakh of women are dying every year due to respiratory disease because of using the unclean cooking fuel in the houses. 

He said that the scheme also covers insurance in case of any mishap. ₹ 6 Lakh has been allocated per person in case of death, Covers medical expenses of ₹30 lakh per event,  maximum ₹ 2 lakh per person. Immediate relief of  ₹ 25000 per person and ₹ 2 lakh in the case of property damage. 

Dr. Sonam Dawa, CEC said, “Ujjwala Yojana is one of the big scheme launched by PM Modi through which free gas are distributed in the name of women for healthy cooking. The list of BPL was not correct as per the income of the family. We have checked the list of the BPL cardholders but it seems that most of the rich families also hold the BPL card and the poor has the APL card according to the Census 2011. I have requested the minister, Indian oil, and HPCL to look into the matter and to do the listing properly.

He expressed gratitude to the Minister for his personal visit to Leh and his intervention in ensuring the adequate supply of ration stock for the district and government school hostels.  Even after the turmoil in Srinagar the ration supply for Ladakh has received on time and the stock for winter has 100% completed.

"The family who received the free gas on the launch day of the scheme are the deserving one. After the concern of the CAPD head and councilor, the list has been prepared and all the BPL families can get this free gas connection," he added. 

Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana is an ambitious social welfare scheme of Narendra Modi Government which was launched on 1st May 2016 from Ballia district in Uttar Pradesh and on 28 September in J&K state. 

Under the PM Ujjwala Yojana, the government aims to provide LPG connections to BPL households in the country. The scheme is aimed at replacing the unclean cooking fuels mostly used in the rural India with the clean and more efficient LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas).

The scheme aims at providing 5 Crore LPG connections in the name of women in BPL (Below Poverty Line) households across the country. 

 

Some of the objectives of the scheme are:

•    Empowering women and protecting their health.

•    Reducing the serious health hazards associated with cooking based on fossil fuel.

•    Reducing the number of deaths in India due to unclean cooking fuel.

•    Preventing young children from a significant number of acute respiratory illnesses caused due to indoor air pollution by burning the fossil fuel.