Under the Union government’s flagship programme Ujjwala scheme, 44,000 poor families in Dakshina Kannada district will get free LPG connections along with the stove, said MP Nalin Kumar Kateel.

Speaking to mediapersons here on Friday, he said that 4,000 LPG connections have already been provided to eligible beneficiaries. The remaining connections will be provided in the next two months.

The beneficiaries have been selected from the socio-economic caste census (SECC) 2011 data, he added.

A convention of beneficiaries of Ujjwala scheme will be held at Buntara Bhavana in Bantwal on July 23 at 11 am to ensure that beneficiaries are properly educated about the safety norms in LPG usage.

The LPG distributors will receive applications from families which still use firewood for cooking, he said.

Kateel said that the scheme has been launched across the country and its implementation has been delayed in the state. The Central government has an objective to provide ‘Clean fuel, better life’ to all women belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL) and make the rural households free from smoke, he added.

He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a clarion call to give up subsidy and four crore people have given up subsidy through which, LPG connections were given free of cost to eight crore households. The families, which are yet to get LPG connections, will get allocations after August 15. The Ujjwala scheme is a social welfare scheme that was launched on May 1, 2016.

He said, “Having an LPG connection was a matter of luxury till recently and the poor could not dream of it.”

Insurance
The LPG connection is covered under insurance as well. Accordingly, the victims of fatal accidents in the kitchen were entitled for a compensation of medical treatment up to Rs 30 lakh. In case of death, an individual will get a sum of Rs 6 lakh and Rs 2 lakh each for medical expenses and property damage.

A relief of Rs 25,000 will be given immediately in case of any mishap. Those who like to make use of the insurance coverage should give it in writing to the LPG distributor, who in turn will inform the insurance company, the MP added.