Data released by the Union Petroleum and Oil Ministry, reportedly, revealed that the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana is struggling to sustain. Reportedly, the Yojana’s intended beneficiaries — households from economically backward sections— are increasingly opting not to refill their Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders.
According to the data released, around 4.70 crore people had opted for LPG connections under the scheme up to July 2018. However, only around 2.70 crore— or about 58 per cent— people refilled their LPG cylinders for the second time. This number fell further, and around 2.07 crore — or about 44 per cent — people refilled their LPG cylinders for the third time, reported New Indian Express.
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Speaking to New Indian Express, policy expert Devinder Sharma told New Indian Express, “About 58% of the farmers sleep with an empty stomach. The Economic Survey of 2016 says that the average income of the farming family is just Rs 20,000 a year in 17 states, about half the country. If this is the situation, then how can they refill a cylinder?”
The data supports this argument. Wealthy states such as Haryana, Gujarat and Maharashtra had around 80 per cent people opt for a second refill of their LPG cylinders. However, in relatively poorer states such as Jharkhand, Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland and Odisha, fewer than 50 per cent people refilled their LPG cylinders for the second time.