New Delhi: A Parliamentary committee has recommended the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry and oil marketing companies (OMCs) to strive for clearing 7.8 lakh pending applications under Ujjawala 2.0, and devise the required modalities at the earliest so that the scheme can be implemented for the new beneficiaries within the stipulated deadline.
The committee also desired the ministry to provide LPG connections on demand and include beneficiaries of poor households living in urban/rurban areas so as to make the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) benefit all stratums of the society and help build a gas-based economy across the country.
The committee also noted that the target of release of additional 60 lakh connections in addition to 9 crore already issued under PMUY was achieved by December, 2022.
“The committee is given to understand that as on closing of January 2023, OMCs received 7.8 lakh cleared applications under the Ujjwala 2.0 scheme which are pending for release of connection,” said the Demand for Grants (2023-24) report prepared by the Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Gas.
As per the report, on perusal of the state-wise details regarding release of 60 lakh connections under Ujjwala 2.0, the committee observed that more efforts are needed to enhance LPG coverage.
“The committee has been assured that funds would not come in the way of releasing pending applications under PMUY and that OMCs are fully capable of undertaking expenditure from their own sources for implementing the scheme and claim reimbursement later. In this regard, the committee, while being satisfied with the achievement of the scheme, sincerely appreciates the efforts of the ministry and OMCs for the successful implementation of the scheme and also their readiness to further enhance coverage of the scheme keeping in view the emergence of new households seeking connections under PMUY,” said the report.
The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 1, 2016 to distribute 50 million LPG connections to women of below poverty line (BPL) families. The scheme was replaced by the Ujjwala Yojana 2.0 in 2021.
(IANS)
