Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana

The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Scheme was initiated with a clear set of objectives. Following are the primary objectives of the scheme:

• To empower women, especially those hailing from socio-economically weaker sections of the society.
• To protect the health and the general well being of women.
• To reduce health issues that occur due to the persistent use of unclean fuel or other traditional modes of cooking like coals, firewood, cow dung, etc.
• To reduce and eventually control indoor as well as outdoor environmental pollution due to the use of fossil fuels that lead to various respiratory illnesses.

Eligibility for Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana

The government has launched this scheme with a clear objective of benefiting the poor households of the country. Women in these households still rely on traditional modes of cooking like cow dung, firewood, coal or kerosene, the smoke of which is hazardous to their health. The eligibility criteria for the scheme has been set that it will enable the inclusion of more and more households that can be benefitted by this scheme.

Following are the eligibility criteria for this scheme

• The applicant has to be a woman of the household.
• The applicant has to be of over 18 years of age and has to be a citizen of the country.
• The applicant has to belong to a below poverty line family or household.
• Another important condition is that no other LPG connections should be available in her name or in the name of any other family member of the household.
• The overall or total income of the family cannot exceed the prescribed limit set by the State Government or UTs from time to time.
• The name of the applicant has to be in the SECC (Socio-economic Caste Census) list of the year 2011 and all the details available therein have to match.
• The applicant also should not be a beneficiary of any other similar scheme that is provided  by the government.

Documents Required for Availing the Benefits of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana

The list of documents that are needed for applying under the scheme is mentioned below.

• Identity Proof - Driving License, One Photo ID (Aadhaar card or Voter ID Card), BPL Ration Card, etc.
• Address Proof - Copy of Passport, Lease Agreement, Telephone/Electricity/Water Bill, Ration Card, Flat Allotment/Possession Letter
• BPL (Below Poverty Line) Certificate that has been authorized by the Panchayat Pradhan or the Municipality Chairman
• One Recent Passport Size Photograph
• 14 point Self-declaration as per the standard format and duly signed by the applicant House Registration Documents
• Aadhaar Card Copy of all the members of the household
• Bank Passbook Copy

Features and Benefits of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana

The salient features of the Scheme are discussed below.

• The scheme will provide access to LPG Cylinders to 5 crore households of the country.
• The government will provide the gas connection with an assistance up to Rs. 1,600.
• The government will bear the administrative cost of this support. 
• The scheme also includes interest free loans from the oil marketing companies. These loans will be available for the refilling as well as purchase of stoves.
• The scheme will include or cover all the eligible families under various distributors as well as various capacities of the cylinder (14.2 Kg, 5Kg, etc.).
• The scheme is applicable pan India i.e. to all the states with north-eastern states being treated as priority states.
• This scheme will also be beneficial in addressing the difficulties faced by the people of hilly states and north eastern states in procuring an LPG connection.
• As per the revised Scheme of February 2018, the broadened eligibility criteria will enable inclusion of more households within the ambit of the scheme.
• The scheme will also generate employment opportunities for over 1,00,000 citizens of the country as well as an estimated increase in business opportunities of Rs. 10,000 crores.
• The revised scheme has also increased or expanded the cover by including the beneficiaries of various other government schemes like Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin), Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), Most Backward Classes (MBC), Tea and Ex-Tea Garden tribes, Forest dwellers, people residing in islands and rivers.
• Benefit under Covid-19 Relief Package or the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana are also extended to the PMUY scheme wherein over 8 crore beneficiaries of the scheme will be provided a total of 3 LPG gas cylinders for the period between April 2020 to June 2020. The cost for the 14.2 kg cylinders under the scheme will be borne by the government and provided free of cost to the beneficiaries.

How to apply for Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana?

The application process under the scheme is very simple in order to ensure maximum participation and reach among the eligible citizens. The procedure for the same is detailed below.

• The first step is to get the application form from the nearest LPG distributor or download the form from the official website of PMUY.
• The application can be made by the eligible woman of the household as per the guidelines of the scheme.
• The applicant will have to submit the details like the name, address, age, Jan Dhan Bank account details, Aadhaar Number of all the members of the household.
• The application will be processed by competent authorities and the connection will be provided by the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs).
• The applicant can also avail the EMI options that are available to them. The amount of EMI can be adjusted against the subsidy that the consumer would receive on each refill.

FAQs on Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana