Port Blair, April 20: As part of the ongoing ‘Gram Swaraj Abhiyan’, Ujjwala Diwas was organized in the Islands, together with the rest of the country today. On this day, as many as 15,000 Pradhan Mantri LPG Panchayats were held throughout the country targeting 15 lakhs women for free LPG distribution. In these Islands too, such PMLPG Panchayats were held to distribute free new LPG connections to needy women. In this connection, a similar function was held in the Panchayat Hall Burmanallah, Beodnabad Gram Panchayat this morning, in which the Chief Secretary, A & N Administration, Shri Anindo Majumdar distributed 10 new LPG connections to the women beneficiaries. As many as 100 new LPG connections were provided during the camp.
Distributing the LPG connections, the chief guest informed the gathering that the three week long Gram Swaraj Abhiyan was launched by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi on April, 14, 2018, with the objectives to achieve 100% implementation of various welfare schemes of the Government, which were launched one by one by the Prime Minister himself. The Administration is making all out efforts in implementing the campaign by deputing officials and staff to organize such camp at different villages in the Islands, to register beneficiaries and provide assistance to them under the schemes, he said. Today the ‘Ujjwala Diwas’ has been arranged at five places in the Islands to distribute 500 free LPG connections to BPL women beneficiaries while similar camps will be organized for all the schemes, so that the target of 100% coverage can be achieved within the timeframe, he said. Some areas are yet to be covered under the welfare schemes; which will be covered during the Abhiyan by May 5, 2018, he said. The Chief Secretary sought the cooperation of the Islanders and said that the target can only be achieved with their cooperation.
While speaking, the Adhyaksha, Zilla Parishad, South Andaman, Smt. Baby Fareeda said that the very concern of the Prime Minister about the hard life of women has led to the implementation of the Ujjwala Scheme. Now BPL women are being provided free LPG connection and this had brought great relief to them, she said appealing to the beneficiaries to continue the use of LPG, saying that cylinder is one time free and can be replaced by buying new cylinder at subsidized rate.
The Secretary (CS&CA), Shri Ramesh Verma while speaking on the occasion said, Ujjwala scheme provides free LPG connection to every woman in the house. This will not only take care of their health, but will also save their time and provide them the opportunity to take up other works for the benefit of their family, he said and appealed to the women to come forward and cooperate with the Administration in the successful implementation of Ujjwala scheme during the campaign.
The Secretary cum Director (RD&Panchayats), Shri Udit Prakash Rai, Deputy Commissioner (SA) informed that the Ujjwala Yojana of the Prime Minister has immensely benefitted the BPL women, who otherwise had to face difficulties in cooking with fuel woods, braving hazardous smoke, which have adverse affect on their health. Now the scheme has been extended to not only BPL women but others, who do not have LPG connections, can apply for LPG connection under the scheme, he said. He also mentioned some of the welfare schemes of the Government, which are being implemented during the campaign. These include PMSBY, PMJJBY, Mission Indradhanush and many other schemes, that have been launched by the Prime Minister. The Abhiyan will reach out to remotest village in the Islands, like Kala Pahad and people should come forward and take the opportunity and register themselves and get benefit of the scheme, he said.
Shri Vijay Seth, Plant Manager (IOC) gave details of the safety measures to the women beneficiaries and advised them to strictly follow the safety measures to avoid any accident.
Smt. V Shanti, Pradhan Beodnabad Gram Panchayat and Smt. Devanti, the two Ujjwala beneficiaries narrated their history before and after getting LPG connection and thanked the Prime Minister for launching the scheme, which has brought great relief to them.
Earlier, the Plant Manager welcomed the gathering and the function concluded with the vote of thanks, proposed by Shri R P Singh, Secretary (CCS).
