The Central government on Monday informed the Rajya Sabha (RS) that the per capita consumption of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) beneficiaries has increased from 3.01 refills in 2019-20 to 3.66 refills in current financial year (till February 2022)
Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas (MOPNG) Rameshwar Teli shared detailed data in the Upper House in a written reply to the question asked by Member of Parliament Narendra Jadhav.
Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister said, "Per capita consumption of PMUY beneficiaries was 3.01 in 2019-2020, 4.39 in 2020-2021 and 3.66 in 2021-2022 (February 2022)".
He added, "As per the government data, the maximum per capita consumption of PMUY beneficiaries were noted in Pondicherry (from 5.25 refills in 2019-20 to 6.28 refills February 2022)."
Under Pratyaksh Hanstantrit Labh (PAHAL) Scheme, the Minister further said that the subsidy, as admissible, is credited to the bank account of the eligible beneficiaries.
"A total of Rs 23,666 crore was utilized in Direct Benefit Transfer (DBTL)-PAHAL in the year 2020-21 as against revised estimate of Rs 23,666 crore. For the current year as against revised estimate of Rs 3,400 crore, Rs 130 crore has been utilized till December 2021," Teli stated.
In May 2016, MOPNG introduced the PMUY as a flagship scheme with an objective to make clean cooking fuel such as LPG available to the rural and deprived households which were otherwise using traditional cooking fuels such as firewood, coal, cow-dung cakes etc. Usage of traditional cooking fuels had detrimental impacts on the health of rural women as well as on the environment.
The scheme was launched in May 2016 in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The target under the scheme was to release 8 crore LPG connections to the deprived households by March 2020.
On September 7, 2019, PM Modi handed over the 8th crore LPG connection in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. The release of 8 crores LPG connections under the scheme has also helped in increasing the LPG coverage from 62 per cent on May 1, 2016, to 99.8 per cent on April 1, 2021.
Jadhav had earlier asked in the RS whether the beneficiaries of PM Ujjwala Yojana have stopped getting their cylinders refilled due to rising LPG prices.
( With inputs from ANI )
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