Sambalpur: The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) which is touted as a people oriented scheme of the Centre has gone haywire in this district as no new consumers have been given connections for last two years, a report said.
Similarly, the rate of refilling of the cylinders by the consumers is disappointing. Thousands of people have applied for connections since October 2019 but they are yet to receive the same.
No one knows when they will be given new connections. The PMUY was launched May 1, 2016.
The scheme aimed at safeguarding the health of women and children of BPL (Below Poverty Line) families by providing them with clean cooking fuel-LPG, so that they don’t have to compromise their health in smoky kitchens or wander in unsafe areas collecting firewood.
The consumers in the district were included in the scheme in 2017 and provided with an LPG connection. Over 1.2 lakh consumers were included in the scheme under 35 distributors of LPG marketing companies in between 2017 and 2019.
Central and state level leaders organised meetings in urban and rural areas and gave away LPG connections to the women enlisted in the scheme.
Regular publicity campaigns were carried out to highlight the advantages of the scheme among the people. Many of the hoardings and posters put up at that time can still be seen at major thoroughfares and vantage points of the district.
People alleged large scale irregularities have taken place in implementation of the scheme. When contacted by this correspondent, a company official refused to give the exact number of consumers who have taken a refill after getting a new connection.
A report by the comptroller and auditor general submitted in 2018 was also indicative of such irregularities. It was found out that a majority of the new consumers have not taken a refill after their first cylinder.
An official on the condition of anonymity said that on an average a consumer hardly takes one or two refills in a year. It is clear that on an average two per cent of the consumers take one to two refills in a year.
The main reason behind the lack of interest among the consumers to refill their cylinder is the price rise of LPG cylinders.
The other reasons are like easy availability of firewood and cooking coal in nearby jungles at cheap price in tribal areas, absence of knowledge in use of an LPG stove, non-availability of subsidy money to consumers and lack of money with the consumers to buy a refill.
As a result, many of the consumers have now stored their LPG cylinders and stoves in their houses. The LPG distributors taking advantage of the situation have allegedly resorted to irregularities.
Many of the distributors are alleged to have kept the LPG books and cards of the consumers with them and black-marketing the cylinders in the open market.
Residents claimed that the truth would be out if the LPG companies conduct a proper probe into the charges. Ujjwala nodal officer Debesh Bal admitted that no new consumers had been added under the scheme from 2019 and new consumers will be soon added in the scheme.
He assured of action if charges of irregularities are brought against any distributor. He, however, said the reasons for which consumers do not come for subsequent refilling of cylinders are many.
PNN
