Himachal Pradesh has become the first State in the country where cent percent households have LPG gas connections. This was stated by the Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur while interacting with the beneficiaries of Himachal Grihini Suvidha Yojna through video conferencing from Shimla today.Jai Ram Thakur said that collecting fuel wood and cooking food on traditional chullah was not only cumbersome, but also had adverse affects on health of the women. He said that it caused adverse affects on the environment as lakhs of trees were cut for fuel wood. He said keeping in view all these issues, Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his first tenure of Prime Ministership envisioned a scheme Pradhan Mantri Ujjawala Yojna, under which gas connections were provided free of cost to poor women of rural areas. He said that as many as 1.36 lakh families of the State were benefitted under this scheme.Chief Minister said that on the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, crores of people of the country voluntarily surrendered their subsidy. He said that, the State Government had launched Himachal Grihini Suvidha Yojna to cover the left out families of the State, who were not covered under the Centre Scheme.
He said that as many as 2,76,243 families were provided free gas connections in the State under this scheme.Jai Ram Thakur said that this has not only saved the womenfolk from ill effects of kitchen smoke, but also helped in conservation of our environment. He said that the Corona pandemic has forced us to completely change our way of interaction. He urged the womenfolk to keep strict vigil on the people coming home from other States, who have been kept in home quarantine, so that they do not jump home quarantine. He said that this would help in checking the spread of this virus at community level.Several beneficiaries of this scheme also interacted with the Chief Minister and thanked him for starting this ambitious scheme which has completely transformed their lives. Beasa Devi of Bilaspur district, Chinta Devi from Balichowki, Meenu Thakur of Bharmour, Kamini Devi from Kangra district, Meena Devi from Kullu district, Gulnaas from Sirmaur district, Deepika from Lahaul-Spiti district, Shrestha from Shimla district, Sonia Devi from Hamirpur district, Saroj Bala from Una district shared their experiences with the Chief Minister that how this scheme has changed their lives.Additional Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar while welcoming the Chief Minister said that this scheme has proved a boon to the rural women as now they do not have go out for collecting fuel wood.Director Food and Civil Supplies Abid Hussain Sadiq made a presentation regarding this Scheme on the occasion.Chief Secretary Anil Khachi and other officers were present on the occasion.