Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be launching the ‘Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana 2.0’ (PMUY) on 10th August 2021. According to an official statement, PM Modi will do so by handing over the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG/cooking gas) connections, at Mahoba, Uttar Pradesh via video conferencing. He will be interacting with the beneficiaries of ‘Ujjwala Scheme’ and will also address the nation.
‘Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) 2.0 was announced in Union budget for the financial year 2021-22. There was the provision for an additional 10 million LPG connections under this scheme. ‘These additional 10 million PMUY connections (under the Ujjwala 2.0) aim to provide the deposit-free LPG connections to those low-income families, who could not be covered under the earlier phase of the PMUY’.
The part of this scheme was ready in May 2021 but its implementation had to be pushed back because of growing Covid-19 cases. According to the officials, since PMUY also requires the doorstep verification of recipients, there was a higher risk of contamination.
But with the crucial assembly elections due in early 2022, the electorally lucrative PMUY Ujjwala scheme could not be pushed further.
‘During the first Ujjwala 1.0 launched in the year 2016, a target was set to provide the LPG connections to 5 Crore women members of Below Poverty Line households. Subsequently, this scheme was expanded in April 2018 to include the women beneficiaries from seven more categories. Also, the target was revised to about 8 Crore LPG connections. This target was achieved in August 2019, and that too seven months ahead of the target date.
Similar to the previous scheme, along with a deposit free LPG connection, Ujjwala 2.0 will provide the first refill & hotplate free of cost to beneficiaries. ‘And the procedure of enrollment will require the minimum paperwork. In Ujjwala 2.0, migrants will not require to submit the ration cards to address proof. A self declaration for both the ‘family declaration’ & as a ‘proof of address’ will suffice’.
