Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced on Friday that the state government will provide free gas cylinders once again on the occasion of Holi in March. To avail of this benefit, beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana are required to link their bank accounts with Aadhaar.
On Dhanteras, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the distribution campaign for free refills of cooking gas cylinders under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana for 1.75 crore eligible families in the state. The state government is set to allocate Rs 2,312 crore for this initiative.
Before 2014, people faced difficulties obtaining gas connections, resulting in long lines for cylinders, according to CM Yogi. The Ujjwala scheme, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2016, successfully addressed the country’s gas shortage. This scheme provided free gas connections to nearly 9.60 crore families across the country, benefiting approximately 50 crore people.
During the event, CM Yogi symbolically handed over the subsidy amount to ten female Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries. The linking of Aadhaar to bank accounts ensures that subsidy funds are credited directly, preventing fraud or theft. Yogi emphasized the scheme’s health benefits, such as providing clean fuel to the poor and marginalized, as well as contributing to eye and lung health.
Union Minister Kaushal Kishore, Mayor Sushma Kharkwal, MLAs Neeraj Bora and Yogesh Shukla, MLCs Mukesh Sharma and Bukkal Nawab, Chief Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra, and representatives from government companies Indian Oil, Hindustan Petroleum, and Bharat Petroleum were present during the program.