Prime Minister Narendra Modi to unveil Ujjwala 2.0 tomorrow; beneficiaries will get stove, one refill free

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the second version of the Ujjwala scheme on August 10 in Uttar Pradesh’s Mahoba. The refurbished scheme will provide beneficiaries a free refill and a stove. With this, the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) aims to replicate the success of the 2017 UP Assembly Polls, according to a report in the Hindustan Times.

The first edition of Ujjwala or Ujjwala 1.0 was launched in May 2016 in UP’s Ballia, ahead of the crucial UP assembly polls which were held in early 2017. It acted as a big driving force behind BJP dislodging the Samajwadi Party government in the state, paving the way for Yogi Adityanath to take over as the state chief minister

Ujjwala 2.0 roadmap

The central government under Ujjwala 2.0 is aiming to distribute 10 million gas connections in FY22, according to the report. It is also expected to give a free refill worth Rs 800 and a free stove. On August 10, PM Modi will deliver a speech in poll-bound UP and the event will be attended by Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri and UP CM Yogi Adityanath.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her 2021 Budget address had announced that the Ujjwala scheme would be extended to 10 million new beneficiaries in 2021-22. Ujjwala 2.0 is also expected to have a provision for an online application and the migrant families will have separate connections.

The preference would be given to poor and underprivileged families belonging to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes (SCs and STs) along with families residing in areas with LPG penetration levels lower than the national or state average.

Applicants should fill a simplified KYC form without a notarised affidavit and migrants who do not have address proof can provide self-declarations. Applications could be sent online through a dedicated portal or common service centres or with the help of local gas agencies belonging to IOCL, BPCL and HPCL, the report added.