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Ujjwala LPG scheme to cover all poor households
News:
Government approves extending Ujjwala LPG scheme to all poor households.
Facts:
The government extended Ujjwala Yojana of providing free cooking gas (LPG) connections to all poor households.
About Ujjwala Scheme:
- The scheme, launched in 2016, originally targeted giving LPG connections to women members of below the poverty line (BPL) households.
- Under the scheme, the government provides a subsidy of Rs 1,600 to state-owned fuel retailers for every free LPG gas connection that they install in poor households. This subsidy is intended to cover the security fee for the cylinder and the fitting charges.
- The beneficiary has to buy her own cooking stove. To reduce the burden, the scheme allows beneficiaries to pay for the stove and the first refill in monthly installments. However, the cost of all subsequent refills has to be borne by the beneficiary household.
Extended Ujjwala:
- While previously the connections were given based on the 2011 Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC), the list was later expanded to include providing free cooking gas connection to all SC/ST households, forest dwellers, most backward classes, inhabitants of islands, nomadic tribes, tea estates and beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and Antyodaya Yojana. Now, it has been extended to all poor.
- Households which were not covered under Socio-Economic Caste Census or who did not come under seven categories like SC/ST, were not be eligible for the scheme but such households will now be included.
