New Delhi: Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in India to have 100 percent households with LPG connections, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has said. Interacting with the beneficiaries of 'Himachal Grihini Suvidha Yojana' through video conferencing, the Himachal CM said that cooking food on the traditional chulha (earthern stove) was not only cumbersome but also impacted the health of women adversely. "This has not only saved women from ill-effects of kitchen smoke, but also helped in conservation of our environment," Thakur said.
Thakur said that under the Centre's Ujjwala Yojana, free LPG gas connections were provided to women in rural areas and a total of 1.36 lakh families of the state benefited from the scheme. In order to include families which were not covered under the Centre's Ujjwala Yojana, the Himachal Pradesh government launched its own scheme — Himachal Grihini Suvidha Yojana. The CM said that as many as 2,76,243 households in the state were provided LPG connections free-of-cost under this scheme, thus taking LPG coverage in the state to 100 percent.
Following the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, the Himachal Pradesh government launched its own Himachal Grihini Suvidha Yojana in May 2018 to cover the households which were left out by the Centre's scheme. Except families having a pensioner, income taxpayer or any member employed with the government, board, corporation etc, all households of the state without an LPG connection were eligible under the state government's scheme.
(PSU Watch– India's Business News centre that places the spotlight on PSUs, Bureaucracy, Defence and Public Policy is now on Telegram. Join PSU Watch Channel in your Telegram and stay updated)