Chennai: Post the approval of Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) to expand the beneficiary list under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), IndianOil has stated that it has developed a blue-print to ensure hassle-free release of LPG connections.
Director (Marketing), IndianOil, Gurmeet Singh, said, “It should be our endeavor that every kitchen in the country is smoke-free and healthy with easy access to LPG. With our sustained efforts, LPG coverage in the country has improved to 89.5 per cent as on 1 December this year, from 61.9 per cent as on 1 April 2016. Now we should aim to achieve universal LPG coverage as clean cooking fuel and encourage its sustained use, which is also the objective of PMUY.”
Singh also emphasized on making available five kg cylinder to PMUY beneficiaries for better affordability and sustained usage of LPG. He also exhorted the LPG vertical to increase awareness about deferring the recovery of interest free loan availed by PMUY beneficiaries (to purchase stove and refill) upto six refills or one year, whichever is earlier w.e.f. from 1 April.
He went on to stress that LPG is economical compared to alternate fuels like cow dung, firewood, and coal and the socio-economic benefits should be conveyed to the public at large.
He further said team IndianOil will leave no stone unturned in creating the required infrastructure to ensure easy availability to even the remotest corner of the country. The scheme has benefitted more than 5.86 crore households of which IndianOil has released over 2.75 core LPG connections under PMUY.