Context
Ujjwala 2.0 (Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana-PMUY) is launched by handing over LPG connections, at Mahoba Uttar Pradesh on 10th August 2021.
How Ujjwala 2.0 is different from 1.0?
- Under the Union budget for FY 21-22, an additional one crore LPG connections were added under the PMUY.
- These one crore additional connections will be covered under Ujjwala 2.0.
- It aims to provide deposit-free LPG connections for those low-income families who could not be covered under the earlier phase of PMUY.
- Ujjwala 2.0 will also provide the first free refill and hotplate to the beneficiaries.
- It will also reduce the paperwork for the enrollment procedure.
- Under the revised scheme, the migrants will not be required to submit the ration cards or address proof.
- Ujjwala 2.0 will help to achieve universal access to LPG.
About the Ujjwala 1.0
- PMUY is targeted to safeguard the health of women & children by providing a clean cooking fuel, LPG.
- Launch: Ballia, Uttar Pradesh (2016)
- Under this scheme, it was targeted to provide 5 Cr LPG connections to BPL families with a support of Rs.1600 per connection in the next 3 years.
- The scheme was expanded in 2018 to include women beneficiaries from 7 more categories (SC/ST, PMAY, AAY, tea garden, most backward classes, forest dwellers, Islands). The target was also revised to 8 Cr.
- The connections will be issued in the name of women of the households.
- The Socio-Economic Caste Census Data will be used to identify BPL families.
- The scheme will also be expected to give a great boost to the ‘Make in India’ campaign by the manufacturers of cylinders, gas stoves, regulators, and gas hoses domestically.
Need of the Scheme
- India is home to more than 24 Crore households and out of them, about 10 Crore households are still deprived of LPG as cooking fuel. They have to rely on firewood, dung cakes, and coal, etc. as their primary source of cooking.
- The burning of such fuels causes alarming household pollution, which adversely affects the health of Women & children and causes several respiratory diseases/ disorders.
- As per a WHO report, smoke inhaled by the women from unclean fuel is equivalent to burning 400 cigarettes in an hour.
- In addition, women and the children have to go through drudgery of collecting firewood.
- Till now, 7 crore LPG connections have been provided.
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