1.13 crore LPG connections distributed in country: Pradhan

Dhenkanal: Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday said around 1.13 crore LPG connections have been distributed under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) in the country.

“Around 1.13 crore LPG connections have been distributed under PMUY to poor people across the country and more than 5 lakh LPG connections have already been released in Odisha,” said Pradhan while launching the scheme in Kankadahada block of Dhenkanal district.

About 20 thousand new connections have been distributed under this scheme in Dhenkanal district and more than seven thousand in Kankadahad block including 2000 connections under PMUY, he added.

Pradhan said that this is the first time in the history of the country that the MoPNG is implementing a welfare scheme benefitting crores of women belonging to the poorest households.

The PMUY will increase usage of LPG thus reducing health disorders due to the usage of polluting conventional cooking fuels like wood and cow-dung. It will reduce air pollution caused by smoke from solid fuel usage in kitchens and other places, said the minister.

Increased penetration of LPG will also generate employment for rural youth in the supply chain of cooking gas, he added.