Lucknow. The distribution of free LPG cylinders under the central government’s flagship Ujjwala scheme will have no religious connection to being distributed only on popular festivals of the Hindu community like Holi and Diwali. Instead, the UP government has decided to fix two period bands, January to March and October to December, when over 1.65 crore beneficiaries in the state will be given the exemption.
The development comes amid the state government’s plan to expand the scheme of distribution of free ration to around 15 crore economically weaker people after March.
Food and Civil Supplies Department Additional Commissioner Anil Kumar Dubey said that the free gas cylinder distribution scheme is not related to any festival of any particular community or religion.
“Implementing the scheme in a stipulated period will ensure its effective implementation and wider reach,” Dubey told reporters.
He also confirmed that the free ration scheme is being actively considered for extension after March.
Free distribution of gas cylinders during Holi and Diwali was one of the key election promises made by the BJP in the recently concluded UP elections.
The Ujjwala scheme is credited for playing a key role in the BJP’s victory in the 2017 Assembly elections, the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and now the 2022 UP elections. The scheme was flagged off by Prime Minister pic.twitter.com/MTUrPcR1VY
— ANI (@ANI) August 22, 2021
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May 2016 from Ballia.
While around 1.47 crore connections were provided in UP during the first phase of the scheme, the second phase which was launched from Mahoba in August last year proposed an additional 20 lakh gas connections.
According to state government sources, the implementation of the scheme to provide free LPG cylinders twice a year will cost around Rs 4,000 crore annually.
—AnyTV News
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