Lucknow, Aug 10: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Ujjwala 2.0 (Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana-PMUY) scheme in Uttar Pradesh's Mahoba district on Tuesday via video conferencing. At the event, the Modi government distributed about 1 crore gas connections in this financial year to the poor along with a free refill and a stove.
Addressing the event, the Prime Minister said he was delighted to address the sisters of UP ahead of Raksha Bandhan. He said the number of people, especially women whose lives have been illuminated by the Ujjwala Yojana is unprecedented.
This scheme was launched in 2016 from Ballia in UP, from the land of Mangal Pandey, the pioneer of the freedom struggle. He said today the second edition of Ujjwala is also launched from UP's Veerbhoomi - Mahoba.
He remembered another son of the soil of Bundelkhand, Major Dhyan Chand or Dadda Dhyan Chand. He said the name of the country's highest sports award is now named as Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. He said this will inspire lakhs of people who want to pursue sports.
The Prime Minister lamented that the countrymen had to wait for decades for getting many basic amenities such as Housing, Electricity, Water, Toilet, Gas, Roads, Hospital and School. Many of such things could have been addressed decades ago.
He said that our daughters will be able to come out of the house and kitchen and contribute extensively in nation building only when the problems related to house and kitchen are solved first. Therefore, in the last 6-7 years, he said, the Government has worked to get solutions to various issues on a mission mode.
He listed many such interventions like crores of toilets being built across the country under Swachh Bharat Mission; more than 2 crore houses for poor families, mostly, in the names of women; rural roads; 3 crore families got electricity connection; Ayushman Bharat is giving 50 crore people cover for upto 5 lakh rupees worth of medical treatment; direct money transfer for vaccination and nutrition during pregnancy under MatruVandana Yojana; 30 thousand crore rupees were deposited by the government in the Jan Dhan Account of women during Corona period; Our sister are getting piped wanted under Jal Jeevan Mission. He said that these schemes have brought massive transformation in the lives of women.