Damoh (Madhya Pradesh), Aug 2 (IANS) The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana continues to improve the lives of economically weaker families in Madhya Pradesh’s Damoh district, as beneficiaries praised the government, stating that access to free LPG connections has replaced traditional wood-fired stoves, reduced household smoke and significantly improved their health and quality of life.
The flagship Central government scheme has enabled poor and underprivileged households to shift from conventional cooking methods to cleaner LPG fuel, helping reduce smoke-related ailments such as eye irritation, breathing difficulties and other health complications commonly associated with traditional chulhas.
Sharing her experience with IANS, beneficiary Kesarbai Kevat said, “We received an LPG gas cylinder and now cook our meals using it. Earlier, cooking over a traditional fire used to cause health problems for me. I used to be ill all the time, but now it’s changed. I thank the Prime Minister for this initiative. I also benefit a lot from the Ladli Behna Yojana.”
Another beneficiary, Anita, also highlighted the positive impact of the scheme on her family’s daily life.
Speaking to IANS, she said, “Earlier, we used to cook on a traditional wood-fired stove. Now, we cook on an LPG gas stove. Earlier, we had to deal with smoke, but now things are much better. All the credit goes to PM Modi and the Central government.”
Bharti Ahirwal, another beneficiary of the scheme, told IANS, “The LPG cylinders are really helpful to us. Earlier, I used to face problems while cooking on a traditional stove, but now it’s better. I don’t face any problem now. I thank the government for this.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally launched the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, in 2016, as a flagship welfare initiative aimed at providing clean cooking fuel to rural and economically deprived households that were dependent on traditional fuels such as firewood, coal and cow-dung cakes for cooking.
The widespread use of such conventional fuels had long been associated with adverse health effects on rural women, besides contributing to environmental pollution. The scheme was designed to address these concerns by expanding access to LPG connections among vulnerable households.
The initial objective of the programme was to provide eight crore LPG connections to deprived households by March 2020. The milestone was achieved in September 2019, when the Prime Minister handed over the scheme’s eight-crore LPG connection in Aurangabad, Maharashtra.
Subsequently, the government approved an additional allocation of 1.6 crore LPG connections under the Ujjwala 2.0 initiative, introducing special provisions for migrant households. The target under Ujjwala 2.0 was achieved in December 2022, taking the cumulative number of LPG connections distributed under the scheme to 9.6 crore.
The Centre later sanctioned another 75 lakh LPG connections under Ujjwala 2.0 for the three financial years from 2023-24 to 2025-26. This target was achieved in July 2024, increasing the total number of LPG connections provided under the scheme to 10.35 crore.
The government has now approved the release of an additional 25 lakh LPG connections under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, taking the overall target to 10.6 crore connections. The process of distributing these additional LPG connections is currently underway across the country.
–IANS
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