TURA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet project- Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, aimed at providing safe and clean cooking gas connections at subsidized rates for below poverty line (BPL) families is failing in its implementation in the Garo Hills where gas agencies have, so far, been able to cover a meager 16,000 connections in the two most populated districts of West and South West Garo Hills districts.
One of the causes for the stagnation in the drive is believed to be the high number of documents sought by gas agencies from beneficiaries. Complaints have been galore about gas agencies seeking PAN cards and several other documents from beneficiaries- something which is alien to a majority of the population that depend primarily on EPIC voter ID and Schedule Tribe/Caste certificates to get their work done.
“One of the reasons for the slow rise in BPL families getting the Ujjwala gas connections is because the banks are asking for too many documents, particularly PAN cards. We have held a meeting in which it was decided that banks should no longer insist on PAN cards but follow up on other documents, particularly caste certificates,” said Deputy commissioner Ram Singh while speaking to The Shillong Times on Friday evening.
On the same day, the West Garo Hills district celebrated Ujjwala Diwas at its Rongram block headquarters in similar fashion across the two districts (including South West Garo Hills).
The day witnessed LPG panchayats being held at several Community and Development Block headquarters to enroll and provide new connections for BPL families.
Connections to as many as 435 beneficiaries of Indane Gas under Rongram block were handed over by deputy commissioner Ram Singh on the special occasion at Rongram Block headquarters before a crowd of several hundred people from different villages in the region.
Similar connections were also distributed at other centres as part of the Ujjwala Diwas celebrations including in Selsella by Chenasa for 100 new connections, 52 by Momin Gas in Tura, 103 at Tura by Indane in Tura, 80 by Rongma LPG and 60 connections at Phulbari by LPG Vitarak.
In Ampati town 107 new connections were also given away to women beneficiaries.
