The Union government today started “Prime Minister Ujjwala Scheme” for providing free LPG connections to people from economically weaker sections of the society by organizing a function at village Patti of Tarn Taran district, today. While launching the Ujjwala Scheme here today, Union Minister of State for Petroleum & Natural Gas Mr Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment Mr Vijay Sampla, Punjab Deputy CM Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, Punjab Food & Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Mr Adesh Partap Singh Kairon, Rajya Sabha member Mr Shwet Malik, distributed free LPG connections to women from BPL families.While addressing an impressive gathering here today, Union Minister Mr Dharmendra Pradhan said that it has been due to the efforts of Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi that more than 5 crore BPL families would be provided free LPG connections throughout the country in next three months time.He said that it was on March 27, 2015, when the Prime Minister had issued an appeal to people to let go of LPG subsidy so that the same amount could be used for providing LPG connections to BPL families.
This appeal was well received by the people throughout the country and till date, more than one crore people have let go of this subsidy, the amount of which would be used for this scheme.The Union Minister said that all BPL families in the Punjab state would be provided free LPG connections before December 31, 2016. He said that when every household would have an LPG connection, our environment would get clean as there would be no emission of smoke/gases from traditional chullah’s. He said that women who used to get sick due to smoke emission can also lead a healthy life now.While announcing a big scheme for farmers, Mr Dharmendra Pradhan said that the Union government would be setting up two plants at Bathinda and Patti where bio fuel would be produced using agricultural residue. These plants would be constructed with a cost of Rs 1000 crore and would be of 500 tonne each. He said that with the coming up of these plants, the farmers of Punjab would be benefitted financially in a big way and pollution levels would also come down.Deputy CM Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal thanked the Union Government for starting Ujjwala Scheme and said that it would benefit people from economically sections of the society in a big way.
He said that as the people from weaker sections of the society are provided free LPG connections under this scheme, the Punjab government would be providing free gas connections to the beneficiaries of this scheme. He said that in next one and half months time, all households in the state would be provided free gas connections.Deputy CM Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal said that the Punjab government is committed for the welfare of people and sincere efforts are being made to lift their standard of living as well. He said that the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janta Party led Punjab government has delivered what it had promised. He said that Punjab is now a power surplus state, besides several welfare schemes such as Atta-Dal, Health Insurance Scheme, besides several others have been started. Mr Badal said that in last four months, 4 lakh patients have been benefitted from the Health Insurance Scheme, besides the Punjab government has now opened 1800 shops for providing free medicines to people, along with free tests.Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal said that the SAD-BJP would form the government in the state for the third consecutive time. He said that in next five years time, more than Rs 35,000 crore would be spent on boosting the basic infrastructure of the state.
He said that all villages of the state would have sewerage system, street lights, metalled roads etc.punjab Food & Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Mr Adesh Partap Singh Kairon also thanked the Union Minister Mr Dharmendra Pradhan for launching the Ujjwala Scheme from Kairon village. Mr Kairon said that there are around 7.75 lakh BPL families in the state, who would be provided free gas stoves along with free LPG connections. He said that in the first phase, around 1.80 lakh connections are being distributed.Union Minister Mr Vijay Sampla and Rajya Sabha MP Mr Shwet Malik also addressed the gathering. Prominent among those present on the occasion included Mr Gurpartap Singh Guddu Kairon, Chairman Ajaypal Singh Mirankot, Shailendra Sharma from Bharat Petroleum, Sandeep Jain, Deputy Commissioner DPS Kharbanda, SSP Manmohan Sharma, besides several others.