Gas Connection Under PMUY May Prove BJP’s Trump Card In UP

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Though PM Narendra Modi is camping in Varanasi for last three days and boosting the morale of party cadre and workers in the last phase of highly crucial #UPElections, BJP top brass and ground force seem quite optimistic about the party’s show in the assembly election. This confidence of party is not without baseless. When Team Khabar India roam around UP to grope the psyche of voters in the biggest state, we found that along with all the pump and show and all the PR exercise, that is going in the state from all the three major parties, there is also a positive undercurrent of the real ground work that central government has done during last 3 years.

Though all the ‘superficial’ focus of all the parties is on the situation of electricity, Gas connections given to BPL households under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) could well be the ultimate differentiator between BJP and all the other parties contesting UP elections. No to be surprised, BJP is aspiring big on this central scheme as already 1.75 crore gas connections have been distributed in the country till date and around 54 lakh connections have been given in UP alone. Whatever happened on March 11, when counting of votes would start, if BJP fare well, as expected by BJP top brass, then it would certainly due to the immaculate implementation of PMUY to every nuck-and-corner of the state and Minister of State (IC) of Petroleum and Natural Gas should be given full credit for this. When we visited remotest places of UP and even in Uttrakhand, apart from everything, people are lauding about the

Importantly Ujjwala Yojana has been launched in many states earlier, namely, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Gujrat, West Bengal, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Gujrat etc. after its countrywide launch on May 1st, 2016 by PM Narendra Modi in the politically sensitive Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh. Riding high on PMUY initiative Indian has seen spurt in LPG connections and it has increased by 26% to reach to 17.4 crore in Aug 2016 as against 13 crore connections. Interestingly till February 2017 more than 30% connections approved under PMUY are from UP already and around 53.50 lakh LPG connections has already been given across UP.

BJP Eying Political Dividends

Although the PMUY scheme, under which the poor get subsidized LPG connection, addresses an urgent need. At the same time, it can turn out to be a political masterstroke for the BJP in the coming assembly elections of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand etc.

BJP spokesperson Vijay Bahadur Pathak said that the PM’s programme is of great importance as it will provide another facility to the poor of getting free LPG connection alongwith oven and pipes. He however avoided commenting on its political ramification. “If the PM does something good for the poor people, the BJP is sure to gain from it during the Assembly elections. The NDA has been voted to power to extend help to the poor and that’s what we are doing,” Pathak said.

That is why when Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) on May 1 in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, many said it was more of a political strategy than a welfare scheme. The UP assembly polls are due in May 2017 and the BJP is hoping to repeat its 2014 Lok Sabha election performance in the state when the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won 73 out of the 80 Lok Sabha seats. In a way, the state was instrumental in electing Modi to office. However, strong regional players—the incumbent Samajwadi Party and the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party—are also expected to play a crucial role.

Unveiling the PMUY, Modi acknowledged the political flavour schemes can take: “Most of the people are yet to understand the power of cooking gas. I would like you to recall those days, when an MP was provided 25 coupons of cooking gas every year to distribute to the poor families. The MP used to proudly tell that he was providing LPG connections to 25 families in his constituency.” At the same time, the Prime Minister kept himself in the clear. Modi said: “We are aware of people pointing fingers at why Ballia was selected to launch this scheme. To the misfortune of our country, some people who are not in politics see nothing, but politics at each and every moment. Someone has written that Modi is going to sound poll bugle with today’s move. Oh my dear! We are not here to sound any poll bugle.”

In Uttrakhand Too PMUY Could Be Game Changer

In the Uttarakhand also BJP has banked on PMUY to woo the poor by publicising among them the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojna (PMUY). Under the scheme, which was launched by Union minister of state for petroleum and natural gas Dharmendra Pradhan in Uttarakhand, free-of-cost cooking gas connections will be distributed among about 4 lakh BPL families. It is this vast chunk of the electorate comprising the poorest of the poor as well as women the BJP is eyeing ahead of the polls. The scheme that was launched for four districts initially was later on extended to all the 13 districts in the mountain state. “These (districts) also include the 10 hill districts where women in most BPL households are prone to all kinds of respiratory ailments and lung diseases like tuberculosis as they are forced to use fuel wood for cooking,” state BJP president Ajay Bhatt said. We noticed that during our campaign for assembly election” Bhatt said. “In these rallies women far outnumbered men, which is a clear upshot of the recently launched PMUY scheme,” he claimed.

The kitchen has always played an important role in Indian politics. Leaders across political parties have cooked their electoral fortunes with the kitchen as the integral ingredient. While some distributed highly subsidised foodgrains, others doled out free appliances such as grinders and food processors. Most of them tasted success. But Whether the PMUY will pay dividend for the BJP or not only time will tell.

What is PMUY?

Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana is an ambitious social welfare scheme of Narendra Modi Government. Under the PM Ujjwala Yojana, the government aims to provide LPG connections to BPL households in the country. The scheme is aimed at replacing the unclean cooking fuels mostly used in the rural India with the clean and more efficient LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas).

Ujjwala Yojana is aimed at providing 5 Crore LPG connections in the name of women in BPL (Below Poverty Line) households across the country. The scheme provides a financial support of Rs. 1600 for each LPG connection to the eligible BPL households. The connections under the scheme will be given in the name of women head of the households. The government will also provide EMI facility for meeting the cost of stove and refill.

“According to WHO estimates, about 5 lakh deaths in India alone due to unclean cooking fuels. Experts say having an open fire in the kitchen is like burning 400 cigarettes an hour. “Providing LPG connections to BPL households will ensure universal coverage of cooking gas in the country. This measure will empower women and protect their health. It will reduce drudgery and the time spent on cooking. It will also provide employment for rural youth in the supply chain of cooking gas,” Dharmendra Pradhan quoted.

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