Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on May 1 launch an ambitious Rs 8,000-crore scheme to provide 5 crore free LPG connections to families belonging to Below the Poverty Line (BPL) using the money saved from 1.13 crore cooking gas users voluntarily giving up their subsidies.
Modi will launch the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana at Ballia in Uttar Pradesh on May 1 and do a repeat function at Dahod in Gujarat on May 15.
Though ‘Give-it-Up’ campaign, seeking the well-heeled to voluntarily surrender cooking gas subsidies for one year was launched in January 2015, Modi on March 27 last officially launched the programme.
“Since the launch, 1.13 crore people have given-up LPG subsidies and are buying cooking gas at market price,” Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said.
Maharashtra tops the list with 16.44 lakh consumers giving up subsidies. Uttar Pradesh saw nearly 13 lakh users give up subsidies, followed by Delhi (7.26 lakh). Prime Minister’s home state of Gujarat was way down the list with just 4.2 lakh giving up subsidies. Pradhan’s home state of Odisha was even lower at 1.3 lakh.
“Five states of Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu account for roughly half of the people who have given up LPG subsidies,” Pradhan said. Consumers are currently entitled to 12 cylinders of 14.2 kg each or 34 bottles of 5 kg each in a year at subsidised rates. A subsidised 14.2-kg cylinder is available at Rs 419.13 in Delhi, while the 5-kg cylinder costs Rs 155.
Farmers, SP to oppose PM visit
After the Samajwadi Party (SP), a group of farmers and a local outfit on Friday said that they would oppose the PM’s visit to Ballia (UP) on May 1.
The farmers alleged that their crops have been damaged due to preparations for the visit in Maldepur adjacent to the Lucknow-Ballia National Highway, where the PM is scheduled to launch Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. Agitated farmers on Thursday staged a protest, demanding compensation for damage to their crops. They were joined by Puvanchal Peoples Party (PPP), a local outfit, which announced that they will too oppose Modi’s visit.