Patna. There is great news for the poor and needy women of Bihar. The Central Government has sanctioned 25 lakh new gas connections in the state, which will be distributed under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. This decision has brought relief to lakhs of families amid long pending applications.
BPL families will get benefits
This connection will be given especially to women from BPL families, who till now have been dependent on wood, coal or traditional chulhas for cooking. The objective of the scheme is to free women from smoke, improve health and make the kitchen safe. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has approved 25 lakh connections to Bihar in the current financial year. The ministry has also issued instructions to the state government and gas companies to speed up the distribution process.
Ujjwala committees formed
After the approval of the Ministry, the Food and Consumer Protection Department has ordered to start the process of distribution of connections to all the districts. “District Ujjwala Committee” has been formed in each district, which will scrutinize the applications and provide connections to the eligible beneficiaries. Officials have also been directed to simplify the application process and inform people about the benefits of the scheme on a wide scale, so that no eligible woman is deprived.
10 lakh applications were pending
About 10 lakh applications were already pending in the state. The issue came up during the Chief Minister’s review, following which the state government requested the Center to allocate additional connections. Now after the approval of the Centre, the way has been cleared for disposal of these applications.
Standard of living will improve
Experts believe that getting gas connection will improve the health of women, save time and also benefit the environment. Smoke emanating from conventional fuel is not only harmful to health but is also a major cause of environmental pollution.
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