‘34 lakh beneficiaries of Ujjwala scheme in Odisha’

BHUBANESWAR: More than 34 lakh poor women of the state received LPG connection under the Ujjwala scheme. It was informed by Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan while talking to women beneficiaries of different parts of the state through videoconferencing here on Saturday.

Pradhan discussed with 25 women about the benefits of the Ujjwala scheme and their experiences. Around 18,000 women gathered at 100 different places for the Ujjwala panchayat programme. Women said they get extra time after using LPG for cooking. They use this time for other useful works, said the women.

Within a span of less than three years, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana has grown leaps and bounds in the state taking the LPG penetration from 20 per cent in 2014 to 68 per cent in September this year and transformed the lives of 34 lakhs of poor families, said a statement issued by the Indian Oil Corporation Limited.

Pradhan focused on the safety aspects of LPG usage and urged the women to use it for a better lifestyle, health and women empowerment. So far more than 73 lakh families have LPG connections in Odisha against 20 lakh connections till 2014, said the minister.